The Nigeria Premier Football League is preparing to launch its 2026/27 campaign in the last weekend of August, with August 27 to 29 pencilled in as the proposed opening dates.
The decision followed a consultative meeting in Abuja attended by officials of the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Football Federation, NPFL management and club proprietors, where a new domestic football timetable was agreed.
Under the approved schedule, the league is expected to wrap up on May 28, 2027. The calendar also makes room for the President Federation Cup, a move aimed at ensuring a smoother and more coordinated football season across the country.
Beyond the fixture schedule, the forthcoming campaign is set to mark a significant financial milestone. National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko revealed that the club crowned league champions will earn a record ₦1 billion, the highest title reward ever introduced in Nigeria’s top-flight football.
The bumper prize forms part of a wider strategy to boost the league’s commercial profile, increase competition among clubs and make the NPFL more attractive to investors and corporate partners.
The new season will also welcome four fresh faces into the elite division after the conclusion of the Nigeria National League campaign. Sporting Lagos, Inter Lagos, Ranchers Bees and Doma United all sealed promotion and will replace the clubs that dropped into the second tier.
Awaiting them in the top flight are defending champions Enugu Rangers, who successfully lifted their ninth league crown after ending the previous season at the top of the standings.
