Nigeria’s third-tier Nationwide League One (NLO) is set to introduce a new home-and-away league format for the 2025/2026 season, with the competition scheduled to kick off on April 10, 2026. The league’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Olugbenga Ogunnowo, confirmed the development and also revealed that eight teams will earn promotion to the Nigeria National League (NNL) at the season’s conclusion.
The new structure aims to improve logistical efficiency for participating clubs. Ogunnowo explained that teams will be organized into groups based on their geographical location following the current registration period. This approach is designed to minimize travel distances and alleviate the financial strain on clubs.
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“The idea of the home-and-away league format was adopted mainly to reduce, if not completely eliminate, the bottlenecks experienced under the old zonal league system,” Ogunnowo stated.
He emphasized that the promotion structure remains unchanged despite the new format. “It is important to state clearly that the eight-team promotion structure to the NNL still subsists and, in fact, remains sacrosanct,” he clarified. “This is irrespective of the number of groups the teams will be placed in, which will ultimately be determined by the total number of clubs that successfully complete the registration exercise.”
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As part of the registration, clubs must designate their home grounds. The NLO will permit multiple teams from the same area to share a single venue, provided the facility meets league standards.
“NLO will welcome two or more teams sharing the same match venue for their home games, as long as the venue meets the approved standard,” the COO said, drawing a parallel with European football.
“After all, AC Milan and Inter Milan both play their home matches at the same San Siro Stadium in Italy. If two Serie A giants can comfortably share the same pitch, why can’t our NLO teams do the same here?”
Ogunnowo noted that match scheduling would be adjusted to accommodate shared venues, with teams potentially playing on different days of the weekend.
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He concluded by reaffirming the NLO’s commitment to its role as a crucial talent pipeline in Nigerian football. “It is never an easy task to bring young football talents from obscurity to stardom by exposing them to platforms like the NNL and NPFL, which ultimately open pathways to national and international recognition,” he stressed.
Nigeria’s Nationwide League One (NLO) is set to introduce a significant structural change, transitioning to a home-and-away format for the 2025/2026 season.
The league’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Olusola Ogunnowo, confirmed the upcoming shift away from the abridged format used in recent years. This move will see teams travel to face each other at their respective home grounds, a standard practice in many professional leagues.
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Ogunnowo also announced that the upcoming 2024/2025 NLO season is scheduled to kick off on April 10.
“The NLO, from next season, that’s 2025/2026, will be playing the home-and-away format,” Ogunnowo stated to journalists.
However, he clarified that the new format will not be implemented immediately. “For the new season that is starting in April, we will be playing on a stadium basis. We have 10 centres across the country,” he explained, indicating the current season will retain its centralized venue structure.
