NLO league kicks off May 3

Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), Olushola Ogunnowo, said the body has plans to ensure that every player in the third tier league combines education with his footballing career when competing in the competition.

The NLO will begin on May 3 at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, with Kano Pillars Jnr facing Kwankwasiya FC in the opening match. Speaking while unveiling the programme for the 2023 season at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, Ogunnowo said the new season would be designed to ensure every player gets the basic training to be successful in life.

Vowing that all the teams in the league are guaranteed fair officiating, Ogunnowo disclosed that 344 clubs are participating in the third tier across the 36 states of the federation.
 
“Our goal is to make NLO the access market for grassroots football in Nigeria and the youth football target market.

“We aim to produce the highest number of youths participating in the NLO at the grassroots level and continue to strive for and maintain official recognition from FIFA and increased interest from foreign clubs.

“Part of our goal is to also ensure every player in the NLO goes to school while playing football and something to fall back on after retirement,” he said.

He described NLO’s primary objectives as repositioning the league as a key resource base for other local and international leagues, professionalise its operations and generate interest from corporate organisations. 

“To achieve these objectives, the league has adopted a growth strategy anchored on good corporate governance, administration and management reforms, implementation of reforms in its operations and activation of strong brand-building initiatives,” he said,