Olugbenga Ogunnowo, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nigeria’s third-tier league, Nationwide League One (NLO), has exclusively told Completesports.com that the newly adopted home-and-away league format for the 2025/2026 season will commence on April 10, 2026.
Ogunnowo also revealed that no fewer than eight teams will be promoted to the second-tier league, the Nigeria National League (NNL), at the end of the season.
Home-and-Away Format Targets Logistical Efficiency
Ogunnowo disclosed that teams will be grouped after the ongoing registration exercise, stressing that grouping will be based on geographical proximity in order to reduce travelling distances and financial burdens 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 said during a telephone conversation with Completesports.com on Tuesday evening.
NLO Confirms Eight-Team Promotion To NNL
“To this end, it is important to state clearly that the eight-team promotion structure to the NNL still subsists and, in fact, remains sacrosanct.
“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,” he explained.
NLO Allows Shared Home Venues For Clubs
As part of the registration process, clubs are required to indicate their preferred home grounds. Ogunnowo revealed that where two or more teams from the same state or geographical area choose the same venue, the NLO will permit such arrangements, provided the facility meets the required 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 stated.
Shared Stadiums Common In Global Football – NLO
“After all, AC Milan and Inter Milan both play their home matches at the same San Siro Stadium in Italy.
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“If two Serie A giants can comfortably share the same pitch, why can’t our NLO teams do the same here?
“The only adjustment required will be match scheduling. For example, if one team plays on Saturday, the other can play on Sunday, as the case may be,” Ogunnowo clarified.
The NLO chief further reaffirmed the league’s long-standing reputation as a talent incubator, promising that it will continue to discover Nigeria’s hidden football talents and prepare them for higher levels of the domestic game.
“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,” Ogunnowo stressed.
By Sab Osuji
