A meeting between the NSC and NFF in Abuja has produced a sweeping financial and structural overhaul for Nigeria’s top flight, from prize money to player wages to a return to television.
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Winners of the Nigeria Premier Football League will take home a record N1 billion from the 2026/27 season, with runners up earning N500 million and the third placed club receiving N300 million, National Sports Commission Executive Chairman Shehu Dikko has announced.
Dikko revealed the figures following a meeting between the NSC and the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja, describing the increase as part of a wider strategic push to elevate the standard of Nigerian football. The jump is significant: NPFL champions collected just N200 million at the end of the 2025/26 season, the first time a title winner had received that amount in the league’s history.
Total Prize Pool To Hit N2.5 Billion
With the NSC’s planned financial intervention, the overall prize pool for the coming NPFL season will rise to N2.5 billion, with every participating club set to receive graded payouts based on final league position rather than only the top three being rewarded. Dikko said the plan is meant to push clubs toward greater professionalism and make the league more attractive to sponsors.
He also disclosed plans for a minimum player wage of N2 million a month, though he cautioned this salary floor is unlikely to take effect immediately and is instead being targeted for future seasons. Dikko tied the broader reforms to the federal government’s economic agenda, framing the NSC’s role as supporting that wider vision for Nigerian football.
Stricter Club Licensing And A Return To TV
Dikko confirmed that club licensing rules, covering sporting, infrastructure, personnel, legal, financial and business development criteria, will be enforced more strictly going forward, even if that means a smaller number of clubs qualify to compete in the top flight. He said the NSC would rather have ten properly run clubs than a full complement lacking basic structures.
The league is also set to return to television screens nationwide, with the NSC confirming a dedicated budget line to support content production for the NPFL and other sports.
Improved Terms For Chelle, Boost For Women’s Football
Stakeholders separately met with Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, agreeing improved contractual terms that include the NSC covering his support staff and giving his technical team responsibility for the U-23 national team as part of a longer term development plan targeting the 2027 AFCON, the 2028 Olympics and the 2030 World Cup.
Dikko also confirmed the NSC’s commitment to supporting the Super Falcons’ bid to retain their WAFCON title, alongside a new joint NSC-NFF committee tasked with raising funds for women’s football, with further stakeholder engagement planned in subsequent meetings.
📌 Did You Know?
- Enugu Rangers were the reigning NPFL champions heading into this prize money announcement, having claimed a ninth league title.
- The previous record NPFL winner’s prize of N200 million was only achieved for the first time at the end of the 2025/26 season.
- Shehu Dikko previously served as chairman of the League Management Company, the forerunner organisation to today’s NPFL.
- Nigeria is targeting the 2027 AFCON, 2028 Olympics and 2030 World Cup as key checkpoints in its long-term football development plan.
- Club licensing requirements across sporting, financial and infrastructure criteria are standard practice in professional leagues worldwide to ensure basic operating standards.
- The Super Falcons enter WAFCON 2026 as defending champions, adding urgency to the NSC’s promised financial backing for the women’s game.
