Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has confirmed that the 2025/26 season will begin on 26 November 2025, with its Annual General Assembly (AGA) scheduled to be held in Port Harcourt.
The league outlined that club chairmen, general managers and other stakeholders will gather in Port Harcourt for the AGA ahead of the season’s launch.
At the meeting, key issues such as fixture scheduling, club licensing, broadcast partnerships and the strategic development of women’s football in Nigeria will be discussed.
The decision marks an important step in formalising the campaign, signalling the NWFL’s intent to maintain calendar discipline and raise organisational standards across its clubs.
Editorial
Football is no longer a luxury it is a statement. And for the Nigeria Women Football League, the announcement of a 26 November kick-off is that statement writ large. In a sport where momentum is everything, setting a clear start date and placing the Annual General Assembly in Port Harcourt signals ambition, discipline and a desire for renewal.
This is about more than the flip of a calendar. It tells us the NWFL recognises that the league cannot drift. The era of vague schedules and ad-hoc announcements must belong to history if women’s football in Nigeria is to step forward. By anchoring the season and gathering the decision-makers under one roof, the league is saying we treat this with the same seriousness as our male counterparts.
The choice of Port Harcourt has a resonance beyond geography. It speaks to inclusion, decentralisation, to carrying the message of women’s football into the heartlands. It says the game is not confined to Lagos or Abuja but is for every corner of Nigeria. That in itself is significance.
Of course, a firm kickoff date is only the beginning. The real challenge lies ahead: will clubs meet licensing criteria? Will fixtures be delivered on time? Will players be adequately supported? Will broadcast and commercial partners step up? All these questions hang in the balance. A date doesn’t guarantee success — but without one, failure is virtually certain.
In recent years, many ambitious football projects have stalled for lack of structure. The NWFL must ensure this announcement is followed through with execution. The AGA must not be ceremonial it must set a tangible framework. The clubs must see a roadmap. The players must feel change. And the fans must be able to plan, invest hope, and trust the league’s intent.
In short, 26 November is more than a date — it is a milestone. It may prove to be the hinge on which women’s football in Nigeria swings toward a new phase. If the NWFL now builds on this foundation with consistency, professionalism and integrity, we may look back on this announcement as the turning point. If not, it will merely be another missed opportunity. Let’s hope the statement is backed by substance.
Did You Know?
- The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) in its current structure was established in 2013, evolving from earlier women’s football competitions in the country.
- Port Harcourt’s stadium, Adokiye Court Stadium, has hosted major national and international matches, including youth tournaments, positioning it as a worthy venue for national-league events.
- The 2025/26 season will mark the NWFL’s first campaign after the global ripple effects of the 2023 Women’s World Cup raised expectations for women’s club football in Nigeria.
- In previous seasons, the NWFL has operated split-group formats (e.g., two conferences) before reverting to a single-division structure to streamline competition.
- Several clubs in the NWFL are now requiring FIFA-compliant women’s locker-rooms and governance standards for licensing — a step that mirrors global women’s football trends but is still uncommon in many African leagues.
