By Ifeanyi Eduzor
The League Management Board has finally announced Saturday, September, 30 as the commencement date for the 2023/24 season of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
In a letter addressed to all the club Chairmen and General Managers, dated Monday, September 25, and signed by Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer, it notified all the 20 participating Clubs that the champions of the League would receive ₦150m which is 50% increase from last season’s prize money.
Another highlight of the letter to the clubs is the payment of take-off grant of ₦200m to the 20 clubs.
“The 20 clubs will, as was done last season receive a take-off grant of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000) each to smoothen their operations as the season starts.
“With this development, we are therefore expecting the Clubs to as a matter of urgency forward their respective account details to the NPFL Secretariat for the transfer of the said amount as the season is set to commence on Saturday, September 30, 2023”, Owumi stated in the letter.
On the prize money, the letter read; “after due deliberations by the Chairman and our Strategic Partners, GTI, it was agreed that the Prize money, since that is what connotes the true value of the league, be reviewed upwards to ₦150million”.
The letter also addressed some of the Marketing concerns and assured the clubs that the NPFL Board would at all time take decisions and enter into contracts that serves the best interest of the league and the clubs.
“Be rest assured that we will at all times be guided by the very best interest of our league and by implication, the participating Clubs”, Owumi explained while adding that discussions are still ongoing with a company that proposed a ten-year partnership for broadcast rights.
“We remain very hopeful that they or other prospective partners will show up since talks are still ongoing. Any success achieved, will enlarge the economic frontiers of the league and by extension the clubs as we progress”, the letter concluded.
