The Nigeria Premier Football League, or NPFL, is the country’s top club competition. Twenty clubs play each other home and away, the bottom four are relegated, and the best finishers earn places in Africa’s continental tournaments.
The 2025/26 season showed how tight it can get. Enugu Rangers won the title on the final day by a single point, and Enyimba, one of the giants of the game, needed a win on the last afternoon just to stay up.
Last updated: 19 October 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The NPFL has 20 clubs who each play 38 matches in a home-and-away season, and the 2025/26 campaign ran from 22 August 2025 to 24 May 2026.
- The bottom four clubs are relegated to the Nigeria National League and four clubs are promoted in their place.
- Enyimba and Enugu Rangers share the record for league titles with nine each.
- Nigeria currently has two places each in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
- The league is run by the League Management Company, which was set up in 2012.
A Short History of Nigeria’s Top Flight
Nigeria’s national league started in 1972 under the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Mighty Jets won the first championship, Bendel Insurance took the second in 1973, and Enugu Rangers won the third in 1974. For its first two decades the competition was run as a national league with a changing set of names, and it did not become a professional league until 1990.
The name has changed more often than most people realise, which is why searches for the “NPFL”, the “Nigeria Premier League” and the “Nigerian Professional Football League” all lead to the same competition.
| Period | Name of the competition |
|---|---|
| 1972 to 1979 | National League (Nigerian Football League) |
| 1979 to 1990 | Nigerian National League First Division |
| 1990 to 1993 | Nigerian Professional League |
| 1993 to 2000 | Nigeria Premier League |
| 2000 to 2003 | Nigerian Premiership |
| 2003 to 2013 | Nigeria Premier League |
| 2014 to 2023 | Nigeria Professional Football League |
| Today | Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) |
Milestones Worth Knowing
- 2012: The League Management Company (LMC) was formed to replace the Nigeria Football League, which had collapsed.
- 2013: A $34 million television rights deal was signed. It ran until 2017.
- 2016: The NPFL adopted the FIFA Transfer Matching System for domestic transfers in July, which made it the first league in Africa to do so. It also signed a memorandum of understanding with the organisers of La Liga that year.
- 2017: The league signed a memorandum of understanding with Morocco’s football authorities.
- 2018: The season was disrupted by a crisis at the NFF and was postponed indefinitely in July.
- 2019 to 2020: The season was cancelled because of COVID-19, and no champion was awarded.
In 2012 the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) rated the NPFL the best league in Africa and 24th in the world, a reminder of how strong the competition was in its prime.
How the NPFL Season Works
The NPFL is a double round-robin league, so every club plays each of the other 19 twice, once at home and once away. That comes to 38 matches per team and 380 in the whole season.
The 2025/26 season began on 22 August 2025 and finished on 24 May 2026. On the final afternoon every match kicked off at 4:00pm, a common practice when a title or relegation place is on the line, so no team could react to results elsewhere.
Nigerian top-flight football dates to 1972 and became fully professional in 1990. Our guide to Nigeria’s football pyramid explains how the league sits above the grassroots system that feeds it.
Who Runs the League?
The League Management Company (LMC) has run the competition since it was established in 2012, a move designed to rescue a league that had come close to collapse.
Commercial backing has been uneven since. A $34 million television deal ran until 2017, and Eunisell is among the current sponsors, but broadcast reach is still a weak point.
Sponsors and Where to Watch the NPFL
Eunisell, Bet9ja and Hero lager are among the brands that have backed the league in recent seasons. On the broadcast side, matches have been shown on AfroSoccer, which offers both pay-TV and free-to-air coverage, and streamed on YouTube. Murphy Ben International has also been listed among the league’s broadcast partners.
Most games are played on Sunday afternoons, with others on Saturdays or weekday evenings. Check the LMC fixture list each week, because rescheduling is common.
Promotion and Relegation in the NPFL
The bottom four clubs are relegated to the Nigeria National League (NNL), the second tier, and four are promoted from it. In 2025/26 the clubs that went down were Wikki Tourists, Bayelsa United, El-Kanemi Warriors and Remo Stars.
Remo Stars went down as defending champions, having won the 2024/25 title, and became the third reigning champion to be relegated the following season. That shows how little margin for error the format leaves.
| Detail | NPFL |
|---|---|
| Clubs | 20 |
| Matches per club | 38 |
| Relegated | Bottom 4 |
| Promoted | 4 from the NNL |
| Governing body | League Management Company |
NPFL Champions: Full List of Winners Since 1972
Here is every champion in the history of Nigeria’s top division. Iwuanyanwu Nationale, who won five titles between 1987 and 1993, are now known as Heartland.
1972 to 1999
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Mighty Jets |
| 1973 | Bendel Insurance |
| 1974 | Enugu Rangers |
| 1975 | Enugu Rangers |
| 1976 | Shooting Stars |
| 1977 | Enugu Rangers |
| 1978 | Racca Rovers |
| 1979 | Bendel Insurance |
| 1980 | Shooting Stars |
| 1981 | Enugu Rangers |
| 1982 | Enugu Rangers |
| 1983 | Shooting Stars |
| 1984 | Enugu Rangers |
| 1985 | New Nigeria Bank |
| 1986 | Leventis United |
| 1987 | Iwuanyanwu Nationale |
| 1988 | Iwuanyanwu Nationale |
| 1989 | Iwuanyanwu Nationale |
| 1990 | Iwuanyanwu Nationale |
| 1991 | Julius Berger |
| 1992 | Stationery Stores |
| 1993 | Iwuanyanwu Nationale |
| 1994 | BCC Lions |
| 1995 | Shooting Stars |
| 1996 | Udoji United |
| 1997 | Dolphins |
| 1998 | Shooting Stars |
| 1999 | Lobi Stars |
2000 to 2026
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Julius Berger |
| 2001 | Enyimba |
| 2002 | Enyimba |
| 2003 | Enyimba |
| 2004 | Dolphins |
| 2005 | Enyimba |
| 2006 | Ocean Boys |
| 2007 | Enyimba |
| 2007/08 | Kano Pillars |
| 2008/09 | Bayelsa United |
| 2009/10 | Enyimba |
| 2010/11 | Dolphins |
| 2012 | Kano Pillars |
| 2013 | Kano Pillars |
| 2014 | Kano Pillars |
| 2015 | Enyimba |
| 2016 | Enugu Rangers |
| 2017 | Plateau United |
| 2018 | No champion awarded |
| 2019 | Enyimba |
| 2019/20 | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2020/21 | Akwa United |
| 2021/22 | Rivers United |
| 2022/23 | Enyimba |
| 2023/24 | Enugu Rangers |
| 2024/25 | Remo Stars |
| 2025/26 | Enugu Rangers |
Titles by Club
| Titles | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 9 | Enyimba (Aba), Enugu Rangers (Enugu) |
| 5 | Shooting Stars (Ibadan), Heartland (Owerri) |
| 4 | Kano Pillars |
| 3 | Dolphins (Port Harcourt) |
| 2 | Bendel Insurance (Benin City), Julius Berger (Lagos) |
| 1 | Lobi Stars, BCC Lions, Stationery Stores, Leventis United, Plateau United, Bayelsa United, Ocean Boys, Udoji United, New Nigeria Bank, Racca Rovers, Mighty Jets, Akwa United, Rivers United, Remo Stars |
Enyimba dominated the early 2000s with three straight titles from 2001 to 2003, while Kano Pillars won three in a row from 2012 to 2014. Enugu Rangers, the oldest name in the table, won their first title in 1974 and their ninth 52 years later.
The Big Clubs Worth Knowing
A handful of names dominate the record books and the headlines.
1. Enyimba
Enyimba are based in Aba, were founded in 1976 and have won nine league titles, the most recent in 2022/23. They were the first Nigerian club to win the CAF Champions League, in 2003 against Ismaily and again in 2004 against Etoile du Sahel.
The name means People’s Elephant in Igbo, and it is also a nickname for the city. In 2025/26 they avoided relegation by beating El-Kanemi Warriors 3-0 on the final day.
2. Enugu Rangers
Rangers International, known as Enugu Rangers, were founded in 1970 and play at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, which holds about 22,000. They matched Enyimba’s record of nine league titles in 2025/26, and they won the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977.
They have now won the league in 2016, 2024 and 2026.
3. Rivers United
Rivers United, from Port Harcourt, were founded in 2016 and won the 2021/22 championship with 77 points, a league record. They finished second in 2025/26, one point behind Rangers, despite beating Katsina United 3-0 on the last day.
4. Remo Stars
Remo Stars, from Ikenne, won the 2024/25 title but were relegated a year later. Striker Victor Mbaoma still finished joint top scorer in 2025/26 with 14 goals.
5. Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars of Ibadan finished third in 2025/26 and ended a 27-year wait for continental football, their first since 1999. It is a reminder that the traditional names can still climb back.
The 2025/26 Season in Brief
Rangers went into the final day just ahead of Rivers United, and a 2-1 win over Ikorodu City in Lagos on 24 May 2026 was enough to take the title. Captain Chidiebere Nwobodo scored twice, in the 30th and 55th minutes, and Moses Ali pulled one back for the hosts. Three players tied for the golden boot on 14 goals: Jonathan Mairiga of Wikki Tourists, Victor Mbaoma of Remo Stars and Godwin Obaje of Enugu Rangers.
The table shows how open the league is. Five different clubs have won the title over the last six seasons, and none has retained it.
2025/26 NPFL Final Table
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enugu Rangers | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 47 | 27 | +20 | 68 |
| 2 | Rivers United | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 44 | 31 | +13 | 67 |
| 3 | Shooting Stars | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 60 |
| 4 | Ikorodu City | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 43 | 39 | +4 | 58 |
| 5 | Bendel Insurance | 38 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 44 | 38 | +6 | 56 |
| 6 | Nasarawa United | 38 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 37 | 34 | +3 | 56 |
| 7 | Abia Warriors | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 31 | 34 | -3 | 55 |
| 8 | Barau | 38 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 52 |
| 9 | Katsina United | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 36 | 39 | -3 | 52 |
| 10 | Plateau United | 38 | 15 | 5 | 18 | 39 | 40 | -1 | 50 |
| 11 | Enyimba | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 49 |
| 12 | Kun Khalifat | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 49 |
| 13 | Warri Wolves | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 36 | 41 | -5 | 49 |
| 14 | Niger Tornadoes | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 48 |
| 15 | Kano Pillars | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 34 | 39 | -5 | 48 |
| 16 | Kwara United | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 32 | 36 | -4 | 47 |
| 17 | Remo Stars (relegated) | 38 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 42 | 47 | -5 | 47 |
| 18 | El-Kanemi Warriors (relegated) | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 27 | 46 | -19 | 47 |
| 19 | Bayelsa United (relegated) | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 37 | 42 | -5 | 43 |
| 20 | Wikki Tourists (relegated) | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 36 | 48 | -12 | 40 |
The bottom of the table shows how tight the season was. Eight clubs finished between 47 and 49 points, and defending champions Remo Stars went down on the last day by a single goal of goal difference against Kwara United, who finished 16th. Kano Pillars and Kwara United were each docked three points and three goals for crowd trouble, and Kwara United were also banned from using their stadium and fined N9 million.
2025/26 in Numbers
- 380 matches produced 769 goals, an average of just over two per game.
- The highest-scoring match was a 4-4 draw between Wikki Tourists and Katsina United on 8 February 2026.
- Four home sides won by 4-0: Niger Tornadoes over Plateau United, Bendel Insurance over Ikorodu City, Kano Pillars over Bendel Insurance and Bayelsa United over Kwara United.
- Ayobami Junior of Shooting Stars led the league with 13 assists, and Michael Atata of Ikorodu City kept the most clean sheets with 16.
- Rivers United had the longest unbeaten run at nine matches, while Nasarawa United’s five-game winning run was the longest of the season.
NPFL Clubs and Stadiums in 2025/26
The league travels widely, from Maiduguri in the north-east to Port Harcourt in the south. Capacities vary a lot, and several clubs share or borrow grounds.
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abia Warriors | Umuahia | Umuahia Township Stadium | 5,000 |
| Barau | Dambatta (plays in Kano) | Sani Abacha Stadium | 16,000 |
| Bayelsa United | Yenagoa | Samson Siasia Stadium | 5,000 |
| Bendel Insurance | Benin City | Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium | 12,000 |
| El-Kanemi Warriors | Maiduguri | El-Kanemi Stadium | 10,000 |
| Enugu Rangers | Enugu | Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium | 22,000 |
| Enyimba | Aba | Enyimba International Stadium | 16,000 |
| Ikorodu City | Lagos | Onikan Stadium | 10,000 |
| Kano Pillars | Kano | Sani Abacha Stadium | 16,000 |
| Katsina United | Katsina | Muhammadu Dikko Stadium | 35,000 |
| Kun Khalifat | Owerri | Dan Anyiam Stadium | 10,000 |
| Kwara United | Ilorin | Kwara State Stadium | 18,000 |
| Nasarawa United | Lafia | Lafia Township Stadium | 10,000 |
| Niger Tornadoes | Minna | Bako Kontagora Stadium | 5,000 |
| Plateau United | Jos | New Jos Stadium | 44,000 |
| Remo Stars | Ikenne | Remo Stars Stadium | 10,000 |
| Rivers United | Port Harcourt | Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium | 40,000 |
| Shooting Stars | Ibadan | Lekan Salami Stadium | 15,000 |
| Warri Wolves | Warri | Ozoro Stadium | 10,000 |
| Wikki Tourists | Bauchi | Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium | 11,000 |
NPFL Top Scorers: Golden Boot Winners
The 2025/26 season ended with a three-way tie on 14 goals, which is low by the league’s recent standards. Here are the winners over the last six seasons.
| Season | Top scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Silas Nwankwo and Charles Atshimene | Nasarawa United and Akwa United | 19 |
| 2021/22 | Chijioke Akuneto | Rivers United | 19 |
| 2022/23 | Chukwuemeka Obioma | Enyimba | 16 |
| 2023/24 | Chijioke Mbaoma | Enyimba | 17 |
| 2024/25 | Anas Yusuf | Nasarawa United | 18 |
| 2025/26 | Jonathan Mairiga, Victor Mbaoma and Godwin Obaje | Wikki Tourists, Remo Stars and Enugu Rangers | 14 |
For comparison, Mfon Udoh scored 23 for Enyimba in 2014, the highest tally in the league’s modern top-scorer records. Ahmed Musa, who went on to become the Super Eagles’ most-capped player, was the top scorer in 2010 with 18 goals for Kano Pillars.
Records and Rivalries
- Most league titles: Enyimba and Enugu Rangers, with nine each.
- Most appearances: Rabiu Ali, with more than 400 league games.
- Biggest rivalry: Enyimba against Kano Pillars is widely described as the league’s best fixture. They are the only two clubs not to finish outside the top eight in 12 consecutive seasons.
- Champions who went down: Remo Stars in 2026 were the third reigning champions to be relegated, after Shooting Stars in 1999 and Bayelsa United in 2010.
Plenty of the country’s national team players come through this league, and our explainer on who the Super Eagles are shows where those players go next.
How the NPFL Connects to African Competition
Nigeria currently sits in the top 12 of the CAF association ranking, which gives the league two places in the CAF Champions League and two in the CAF Confederation Cup. For 2026/27, Enugu Rangers and Rivers United take the Champions League places, while Shooting Stars and the Federation Cup winners go into the Confederation Cup.
If you want to see what those tournaments look like from the inside, our explainers on the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup cover how each competition is structured.
What the NPFL Still Needs to Fix
The league produces excitement, but it still loses many of its best players to Europe before they can build a long career at home. Infrastructure and broadcast reach have also held it back, which limits how many people can watch the football.
We would argue the gap between what the NPFL pays and what players can earn abroad is the biggest obstacle to keeping talent at home.
NPFL FAQ
How many teams are in the NPFL?
There are 20 clubs. Each plays 38 matches, home and away against every other club, so a season has 380 games.
Who has won the most NPFL titles?
Enyimba and Enugu Rangers share the record with nine each. Rangers drew level in 2025/26.
Who won the NPFL in 2025/26?
Enugu Rangers won the title with 68 points, one ahead of Rivers United. They sealed it with a 2-1 win at Ikorodu City on the final day, 24 May 2026.
Which clubs were relegated from the NPFL in 2025/26?
Remo Stars, El-Kanemi Warriors, Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourists went down to the Nigeria National League.
When does the NPFL season start and end?
The league now runs from August to May. The 2025/26 season started on 22 August 2025 and ended on 24 May 2026, with breaks over the New Year and in April.
Who runs the NPFL?
The League Management Company (LMC), which was set up in 2012 to run the top flight after the old Nigeria Football League collapsed.
Which Nigerian teams play in Africa?
For 2026/27, Enugu Rangers and Rivers United are in the CAF Champions League, while Shooting Stars and Federation Cup winners El-Kanemi Warriors are in the CAF Confederation Cup. El-Kanemi earned their place by winning the cup, even though they were relegated from the league.
What is the difference between the NPFL and the NNL?
The NPFL is the top tier. The Nigeria National League (NNL) is the second tier, and its top four clubs are promoted each year in place of the four clubs relegated from the NPFL.
Why the NPFL Deserves a Closer Look
A league where the champions can go down the next season, where a title can be settled by a single point and where 20 clubs from across Nigeria compete is a competition worth following. If you only follow one thing this season, watch how Rangers and Rivers United cope with the Champions League and whether newly promoted clubs can survive.
For anyone new to Nigerian club football, start with Enyimba and Rangers, the two clubs with the most titles, and work outwards from there.