The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) also known as the EuroMatch Premier Football League for sponsorship reasons and (formerly the Nigeria Professional Football League) is the highest level of club football in Nigerian football league system. It is organized by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Board under the authority of the Nigeria Football Federation. It has been organised since 1972. It is fed into by the Nigeria National League (NNL).
The NPFL runs from August to May, with each of the 20 teams playing 38 matches (facing every other team twice, once at home and once away), totaling 380 matches per season. Most games are scheduled for Sunday afternoons, while others are played on Saturday or weekday evenings.
The current champions are Enugu Rangers, who won their 9th title in the 2025–26 season.
Name history The league was previously known as the Nigeria Premier League between 1993 and 2000, and between 2003 and 2013.
It has also been known as the "Nigerian Premiership" (2000–2003); "Nigerian Professional League" (1990–1993); Nigerian National League - First Division (1979–1990) and "the (Nigerian) National League" or "Nigerian Football League" (1972–1979) and more recently "Nigeria Professional Football League" (2014–2023).
International partnerships On 27 April 2016, The Liga Nacional 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 (made up of the league's best players) have also been playing Pre-Season as well as Winter break friendlies with top flight Spanish sides like Atlético Madrid, Málaga, Valencia, Villarreal, etc. In an effort to expose and test local players against top players and sides.
On Thursday, 25 May 2017, The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) alongside the League Management Company (LMC), 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 (which organises the Botola), Said Naciri signed at the LNFP office, watched by the two FA bosses.
Eunisell, Bet9ja and Hero lager are current sponsors of the NPFL.
History
2017 season Plateau United F.C. 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 (NFF). 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.
Enyimba vs Kano Pillars is considered the biggest match of the season because of their rivalry and they remain the 2 teams yet to finish outside the top eight for 12 consecutive seasons.
Management The League Management Company (shortly and commonly known as the 'LMC') is the legal association football League governing body of the Nigeria Professional Football League. It was created and incorporated by the Nigeria Football Federation in 2012 to take over the nearly-collapsed Nigeria Football League (NFL), the former league governing body.
History The NFF created the Nigeria Premier League, organized by the Nigeria Football League in 1990 as a step in attaining full professionalism as the sole regulatory for football in Nigeria. At the Onikan Stadium on 12 May 1990, the league was given a name as it was then known as the 'Professional League'.
However, in November 2012 with the agreement and support of the National Sports Commission, Nigeria's sports regulatory authority, the NFF constituted an Interim Management Committee (IMC) for the League as part of measures to avert a total collapse of the top tier professional League following the downfall of the Nigeria Football League (NFL) which arose from difficult legal and administrative impediments. The IMC supervised the formation and incorporation of the LMC to run a transparent and commercially viable professional league.
Achievements The first step the LMC took was to rebrand the League name, from the Nigerian Premier League to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), or simply the Professional 'Football' League) Also, the LMC signed a $34m TV rights deal to broadcast league matches which lasted until 2017.
In 2015, the League Management Company solicited financial support from the Government in order to upgrade existing grounds, provision of required broadcast and medical equipment and facilities in the stadiums.
The League Management Company has its framework and rules governing the 20 clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League each season. On 5 July 2016, the NPFL adopted the TMS Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS), becoming the first league in Africa to do so.
The League Management Company is currently headed by Shehu Dikko.
Awards In 2012, the NPFL 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.
The League Bloggers Awards celebrate players, coaches and administrators.
Qualification for CAF competitions Association Ranking for the 2023–24 CAF club season The association ranking for the 2023–24 CAF Champions League and the 2023–24 CAF Confederation Cup will be based on results from each CAF club competition from 2018–19 to the 2022–23 season. The standings below are as of 21 March 2023.
Legend CL: CAF Champions League CC: CAF Confederation Cup ≥: Associations points might increase on basis of its clubs performance in 2022-23 CAF club competitions
Rank Association 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022-23 Total 2023 2022 Mvt CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC 11 —57884695≥82≥22 —451168374≥72.5≥33 —513165716545 +16030.582544354 -18660435142611 +5300030.5023476 -1504140031287 -100.54010502098 -102202030301010 —3003201020119 -2000200.50500.51212 —21030200021316 +31000.50001031414 —00000300.5101513 -202.51201.500.5001617 +100.5000001011715 -200001200001821 +300010000011930 +1100000000011926 +700000000102118 -300000010002219 -310100000002319 -402000000002321 -200000000.5002323 —00.50000.500002324 +1 00000000.5002724 -301000000002727 —0000.50000002727 —0000.5000000
Association ranking for the 2024–25 CAF club season The association ranking for the 2024–25 CAF Champions League and the 2024–25 CAF Confederation Cup is be based on results from each CAF club competition from 2019–20 to the 2023–24 season.
Legend CL: CAF Champions League CC: CAF Confederation Cup ≥: Associations points might increase on basis of its clubs performance in 2023–24 CAF club competitions
Rank Association 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 Total 2024 2023 Mvt CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC 12 +1116837482.57721 -1884695822433 —316571652344 —30.582544341.555 —604351426166 —0030.502346077 —414003124088 —4010502031.599 —20203030201011 +10200.50500.5031113 +200.5000103301212 —03020002021310 -30320102000.51427 +1300000000131518 +301000001021614 -2000300.510001727 +1000.5000000201816 -20000010100.51921 +200001000102015 -51201.500.500002117 -400120000002219 -300000001002219 -300000010002423 -1000000.500002423 -1 000000.500002622 -410000000002623 -30000.50000002827 -100.500000000
Association ranking for the 2025–26 CAF club season The association ranking for the 2025–26 CAF Champions League and the 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup will be based on results from each CAF club competition from 2020–21 to the 2024–25 season.
Legend CL: CAF Champions League CC: CAF Confederation Cup ≥: Associations points might increase on basis of its clubs performance in 2024–25 CAF club competitions
Rank Association 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 Total 2025 2024 Mvt CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC11 —837482.57710422 —469582245534 +182544341.59343 -1657165235556 +130.50234602465 -14351426130.578 +110502031.52287 -1400312402099 —30303020301011 +100010330121110 -100.50500.503001212 —0200020201
Past champions Champions by season
+ Année Champion1972Mighty Jets (1)1973Bendel Insurance (1)1974Enugu Rangers (1)1975Enugu Rangers (2)1976Shooting Stars (1)1977Enugu Rangers (3)1978Racca Rovers (1)1979Bendel Insurance (2)1980Shooting Stars (2)1981Enugu Rangers (4)1982Enugu Rangers (5)1983Shooting Stars (3)1984Enugu Rangers (6)1985New Nigeria Bank FC (1) 1986Leventis United (1)1987Iwuanyanwu Nationale (1)1988Iwuanyanwu Nationale (2) 1989Iwuanyanwu Nationale (3)1990Iwuanyanwu Nationale (4)1991Julius Berger (1)1992Stationery Stores (1)1993Iwuanyanwu Nationale (5)1994BCC Lions (1)1995Shooting Stars (4)1996Udoji United (1)1997 Dolphin F.C. (1)1998Shooting Stars (5)1999Lobi Stars (1)2000Julius Berger (2)2001Enyimba FC (1)2002Enyimba FC (2)2003Enyimba FC (3)2004 Dolphin F.C. (2)2005Enyimba FC (4)2006Ocean Boys FC (1)2007Enyimba FC (5)2007–08Kano Pillars FC (1)2008–09Bayelsa United (1)2009–10Enyimba FC (6)2010–11 Dolphin F.C. (3)2012Kano Pillars FC (2)2013Kano Pillars FC (3)2014Kano Pillars FC (4)2015Enyimba FC (7)2016Enugu Rangers (7)2017Plateau United FC (1)2018Championship canceled2019Enyimba FC (8)2019–20Championship canceled due to COVID-192020–21Akwa United FC (1)2021–22Rivers United (1)2022–23Enyimba FC (9)2023–24Enugu Rangers (8)2024–25Remo Stars (1)2025–26Enugu Rangers (9)
Most titles won
Clubs Championship Years Enyimba (Aba) 9 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2022–23 Enugu Rangers (Enugu) 9 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, 2016, 2023–24, 2025–26 Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 5 1976, 1980, 1983, 1995, 1998 Heartland F.C. (Owerri) 5 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993 Kano Pillars (Kano) 4 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014 Dolphins (Port Harcourt) 3 1997, 2004, 2011Bendel Insurance (Benin City) 2 1973, 1979Julius Berger (Lagos) 2 1991, 2000Lobi Stars (Makurdi) 1 1999BCC Lions (Gboko) 1 1994Stationery Stores (Lagos) 1 1992Leventis United (Ibadan) 1 1986Plateau United (Jos) 1 2017Bayelsa United (Yenegoa) 1 2009Ocean Boys (Brass) 1 2006Udoji United (Awka) 1 1996New Nigeria Bank (Benin City) 1 1985Racca Rovers (Kano) 1 1978Mighty Jets (Jos) 1 1972Akwa United (Uyo) 1 2020–21Rivers United (Port Harcourt) 1 2021–22Remo Stars (Ikenne) 1 2024–25
Top scorers