Nigerian Professional Football League


The Nigerian Professional Football League is the highest level of the Nigerian football league system, for the Nigerian Club-football Championships.
The Nigerian top-division has experienced dwindling fortunes since the late 2000s.
It is fed into by the Nigeria National League. It is organised by the League Management Company.

Name

It was formerly known as the Nigerian Premier League for the second time, as of the 2012/2013 Season from the 2003/2004 Season; "Nigerian Premiership" ; "Nigerian Premier League", first time ; "Nigerian Professional League" ; Nigerian National League - First Division and "the National League" or "Nigerian Football League",

The League Management Company

This is the legal League board or body that was incorporated in November 2012, by the Nigeria Football Federation to take over the nearly-collapsed NPL.
The first step the LMC took was to rebrand the League name, from the Nigerian Premier League to the Nigerian Professional Football League, i.e. just "Professional League" or "Football League" inside Nigeria.
In 2015, the League Management Company solicited financial support from the Government in order to "upgrade of existing grounds and provision of required broadcast equipment and facilities in the stadiums”.

International Partnerships

On 27 April 2016, The Liga de Fútbol Profesional organisers of the La Liga sealed a five-year memorandum of understanding deal with the NPFL on capacity building and idea exchange signed by the League Management Company chairman, Shehu Dikko and the La Liga President Javier Tebas. The NPFL and La Liga partnership has already started bearing fruit as during the January transfer window, Super Eagles fringe player Ezekiel Bassey was signed on loan from Enyimba to Barcelona B on a six-month deal with an option of 3-years come end of the season based on performance. The NPFL AllStars have also been playing Pre-Season as well as Winter break friendlies with top flight Spanish sides like Atlético Madrid, Málaga, Valencia, Villareal etc. In an effort to expose and test Local players against top players and sides.
In Thursday, 25 May 2017, The Nigerian Football Federation
alongside the League Management Company, also consummated a multi-faceted strategic agreement in
general football development with the Football Federation and Premier League body of the Kingdom of Morocco, NFF President Amaju Pinnick and NFF 2nd Vice-President/
LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko put pen to paper on a memorandum of understanding with their Moroccan counterparts, the result of detailed discussions, deliberations and considerations over time. The two FA Presidents signed their own sides in the
Office of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football in Rabat, while the LMC 's Chairman, Shehu Dikko and Chairman of the Ligue Nationale de Football Professionnel, Said Naciri signed at the LNFP office, watched by the two FA bosses.
Eunisell has also been a sponsor of NPFL.

History

2017 season

won the league on 9 September 2017, with a 2–0 victory over Enugu Rangers.

2018 season

In July 2018 the league was postponed indefinitely following crisis in the Nigerian Football Federation. Lobi Stars was declared as the sole representative of the league in the 2019 CAF Champions League as the team was at the top of the standings.

2019 season

The league consisted of 24 teams. Four were promoted from the Nigeria National League. Twenty teams remained from the previous season which was not completed. They were divided into two groups of 12 teams. The top three teams in each group contested for The title in the NPFL Super six championship playoff in Lagos.
The People's Elephant finished at the top of the log with 12 points from five games.

Awards

In 2012, the NPL was ranked as the best in Africa and 24th best in the world by the IFFHS, the rating puts it a spot above the Scottish Premier League for the year.

Past champions

Champions by season

ClubsChampionshipYears
Enyimba 82001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2019
Rangers International 71974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, 2016
Shooting Stars 51976, 1980, 1983, 1995, 1998
Heartland F.C. 51987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993
Kano Pillars 42008, 2012, 2013, 2014
Dolphin '31997, 2004, 2011
Bendel Insurance 21973, 1979
Julius Berger 21991, 2000
Lobi Stars 11999
BCC Lions 11994
Stationery Stores 11992
Leventis United 11986
Plateau United 12017
Bayelsa United 12009
Ocean Boys 12006
Udoji United 11996
New Nigeria Bank 11985
Racca Rovers 11978
Mighty Jets 1'''1972

Topscorers