Ahead of the 2023/24 season, the Nigeria National League (NNL) is all set to begin on October 28th with a grand prize of five million naira for the winner of the nation’s second division, Platinumnewsng.com is reporting
The decision was reached during the NNL’s Annual General Meeting attended by representatives of the 40 NNL clubs, held at De Bridge Ville Suites in Jos, Plateau State.
While the season opener will feature Dakkada FC and 1472 FC at the Uyo Township Stadium, other Matchday One clashes are scheduled for November 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2023, to be hosted at various venues.
For the upcoming season, the NNL has adopted a format comprising four conferences labeled A, B, C, and D for the 2023/2024 season. It was also agreed that only stadiums meeting the NNL Stadium facilities criteria will be approved for use during the season.
It was also revealed that Dekaizen Worldwide Ltd, the official Insurance Brokers, will award the winners of the 2023/2024 league season with a cash prize of N5,000,000.00 (Five million naira). Cash prizes for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions will be determined based on available funds before the season’s conclusion.
Another pertinent agreement reached at the NNL Annual General Meeting was on security as a top priority, mandating the presence of at least 20 effective security personnel before any league match can commence at venues hosting NNL matches during the 2023/2024 league season.
In a separate announcement, the promotion of Heartland FC, Kano Pillar FC, Sporting Lagos FC, and Katsina Utd FC to the Nigeria Premier Football League was confirmed, while 12 clubs unfortunately faced relegation to the Nationwide League One (NLO).
The relegated clubs are as follows:
1. Kogi Utd FC – Lokoja
2. FWC Champions FC of Abuja – Abuja
3. Zamfara Utd FC – Zamfara
4. Green Berets FC – Zaria
5. ABS FC – Ilorin
6. Police Machine FHQ FC – Gombe
7. Go Round FC – Omoku
8. FC Ebedei – Shagamu
9. Joy Comets FC – Lagos
10. Ibom Youths FC – Ikot Ekpene
11. Edel FC – Awka
12. Henserd FC – Yenagoa