NPFL Gets Sept. 30th Kickoff Date, Clubs To Get N10m Each As Take-off Grant

Saturday, September 30 has been officially announced as the kick-off date for the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL season.

In a letter dated Monday, September 25, the Chief Operating Officer of the League Board, Davidson Owumi, informed the Chairmen of the 20 participating NPFL clubs that the champions of the new season would receive a sum of ₦150m, a 50% increase from last season’s prize money.

The letter also notified the 20 clubs of the payment of start-off grants of ₦200m, with each club receiving the sum of ₦10m.

“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, September 30, 2023”, Owumi stated in the letter addressed to all Club Chairmen and General Managers.

The letter also touched on the Prize money; “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 ₦150million”.

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”, the Chief Operating Officer explained while adding that discussions are still ongoing with Startimes Nigeria who proposed a ten-year partnership for broadcast rights, while the NPFL is insisting on a five-year deal.

“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 concluded.