The Nationwide League One, Nigeria’s third tier football league, has approved it 10-year masterplan, which it submitted to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) two years ago.
The masterplan, according to the NLO, will guide it in expanding the league and making it profitable, as well as help the players plan for life after football.
Rising from its congress in Abuja, yesterday, the NLO in a communique also said that it has agreed that the next season will kick off on April 13, 2024.
It said the kick off date was chosen “to give the clubs ample time and opportunity to recruit more talented players, knowing that most of their players might have been transferred during the professional league transfer window in January. The registration starts on December 9, 2023 and closes on March 1, 2024.”
The communique also revealed that it has adopted a stadium league format the ensures matches are played in television friendly stadiums across the country.
It added: “The NLO secretariat will determine the venues based on previously approved venues for professional league matches by NFF.
“The congress approved increment of registration fee due to the economic situation in the world from N200, 000 to N300, 000 (this includes affiliation to the NLO). The registration procedure in NLO has been adjudged to be more secured and tamper proof. That any club that does not pay or complete its registration will be sanctioned according to the rules and regulations of the NLO.”
The NLO said the registration for the season encompasses the pre-competition medical assessment and insurance of players and officials.
The NLO said it has observed that most of the clubs don’t pay their yearly registration fees, which has made running its secretariat difficult, warming that any club that failed to pay its yearly registration fees should forget about playing in the league.
One of the new innovations to the NLO, according to the communique, is the U-19 Youth League, which compels the clubs to look more inward to register more 15 and 16 years old players from the 2024 season.
According to the NLO, the innovation will enhance the development of the league and the nation’s football.
The NLO said the registration document required for youth league from the 2024 season would be the National Identification Number (NIN) and primary school certificate.
