The 2023/24 season of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) will now kickoff on Sunday 30th September – 21 days after the initial date.
According to the NPFL, the initial start date of 9th September was shifted as it clashed with the Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
In a letter on Monday, the Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi also notified the 20 participating clubs that the champions of the season would receive N150 million, which is a 50 per cent increase from last season’s prize money.
Another highlight of the letter to the clubs is the payment of start-off grants of N200 million to the 20 clubs.
“The 20 clubs will, as was done last season receive a take-off grant of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000) each to smoothen your operations as the season starts.
“We are therefore expecting the clubs to as a matter of urgency forward their respective account details to the NPFL Secretariat for the transfer of the said amount as the season is set to commence on Saturday, 30th September 2023”, Owumi stated in the letter addressed to club chairmen and General Managers.
On the prize money, the letter read: “After due deliberations by the Chairman and our strategic partners, it was agreed that the prize money, since that is what connotes the true value of the league, be reviewed upwards to N150 million”.
The letter also addressed some of the marketing concerns and assured the clubs that the NPFL Board would at all times take decisions and enter into contracts that serves the best interest of the league and the clubs.
“Be rest assured that we will at all times be guided by the very best interest of our league and by implication, the participating clubs”, Owumi explained, while adding that discussions are still ongoing with a company that proposed a ten-year partnership for broadcast rights.
“We remain very hopeful that they or other prospective partners will show up since talks are still ongoing. Any success achieved, will enlarge the economic frontiers of the league and by extension the clubs as we progress”, he further said.
Matches involving CAF Confederation Cup campaigners – Rivers United and Bendel Insurance – will however be put on hold as they on the same weekend as the league kickoff.
Rivers United, who play goalless with Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso in the first leg away, will entertain their guests in the second leg of the second round at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt on Sunday.
Forced by their visitors RS Berkane 2-2 in the first leg in Benin City, Bendel Insurance will travel to Morocco for their second-leg clash against the former champions.
Matchday 1: Bayelsa United v Akwa United, Shooting Stars v Plateau United, Abia Warriors v Niger Tornadoes, Enyimba v Bendel Insurance (postponed), Rivers United v Remo Stars (postponed), Katsina United v Kwara United, Sunshine Stars v Kano Pillars, Heartland v Lobi Stars, Sporting Lagos v Gombe United, Rangers United v Doma United
