Nigeria Premier League

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Nigeria Premier League
Country Nigeria
Confederation CAF
Founded 2003
Number of teams 20
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Nigeria National League
Domestic cup(s) Nigerian FA Cup
Nigerian Super Cup
International cup(s) Champions League
Confederation Cup
Current champions Enyimba F.C. (2015)
Most championships Enyimba F.C. (7)
Website http://www.lmc-ng.org/
2015

The Nigeria Premier League is the highest level of domestic Nigerian football.[1][2] It is fed into by the Nigeria National League (NNL). It is organized by the League Management Company.

On May 2013, Lagosian telecommunications company Globacom signed a three-year contract with the league to become its title sponsor. Thus the league is now officially known as the Glo Premier League.[3] In 2012 the NPL was ranked as the best in Africa and 24th best in the world by the IFFHS, the rating puts it a spot above the Scottish Premier League for the year.[4][5]

History

The league was founded in 1972 with six teams. On 12 May 1990 at the Onikan Stadium Lagos, the league was rechristened the "Professional League" with a goal to modernize the game and make clubs self-sufficient. Decrees 10 and 11 which codified the introduction of professional football in Nigeria stipulated that professional clubs should be run as limited liability companies each governed by a regularly constituted board of directors and required to hold annual general meetings, present independently audited accounts, cultivate youth/feeder teams and own their own stadium within five years of registration with the Pro League Department. To assist Pro League clubs in the timely achievement of these stated goals, all 56 professional club-sides that constituted the inaugural Pro League First and Second Division were granted a five-year tax moratorium on all income starting from 1990.

The premier league era in Nigeria began in 2003 when the Nigeria Football Association then chaired by Ibrahim Galadima inaugurated an interim committee to run the league.

From 1999–2007, there was an end of season Championship called the "Super Four". The top four teams would play a round-robin mini-league at a neutral site to determine the league champion. The Super Four is now a pre-season tournament featuring the top four teams of the prior year.

After the 2006 competition, the league changed its calendar to more closely match the common European regular season structure (starting around August and ending around May).

The League Management Company

The League Management Company was formed in 2012 following the collapse of the Nigeria Premier League organized by the Nigeria Football League (NFL) which arose from intractable legal, contractual, administrative and financial impediments. The Nigerian Football Association, owner of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) issued the League Management Company the license to organize and regulate the top tier league to meet global technical and commercial standards. Hon. Nduka Irabor is the Chairman of the League Management Company.

The League Management Company on inception of duty brought in a number of innovations which includes improved and better managed match indemnities for match officials, sanctions on clubs who fail to pay salaries and allowances to their players. They helped get sponsorship deals from corporations such as Telecom giants Globacom as well as TV Rights from Supersports. They set up a live scores platform where fans can follow scores update using their Twitter and Facebook accounts. For the clubs, the LMC also increased the Merit bonuses. In the 2013-14 Season for instance, League Winners Kano Pillars were awarded Fifteen Million Naira while second placed Enyimba FC got Eleven Million, two hundred and fifty thousand Naira. This means that every club got 50% more than what their league position earned in the 2012-13 Season.

In 2015, the League Management Company solicited financial support from the Government financially in order to "upgrade of existing grounds and provision of required broadcast equipment and facilities in the stadiums”. [6]

2014 season

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The 2013/14 Season started in March 2014 and ended in November 2014. Kano Pillars retained their trophy while Enyimba finished in second place. Warri Wolves got a draw on the last day to pip Nasarawa United to the third spot and CAF Confederations Cup spot. Newcomers Nembe City were relegated together with Kaduna United, Crown and Gombe United.

Winners

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Clubs Championship Years
Enyimba (Aba) 7 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2015
Rangers International (Enugu) 6 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984
Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 5 1976, 1980, 1983, 1995, 1998
Iwuanyanwu Nationale/Heartland (Owerri) 5 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993
Kano Pillars (Kano) 4 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014
Dolphins (Port Harcourt) 3 1997, 2004, 2011
Julius Berger/Bridge Boys (Lagos) 2 1991, 2000
Bendel Insurance (Benin City) 2 1973, 1979
Bayelsa United (Yenegoa) 1 2009
Ocean Boys (Brass) 1 2006
Lobi Stars (Makurdi) 1 1999
Udoji United (Awka) 1 1996
BCC Lions (Gboko) 1 1994
Stationery Stores (Lagos) 1 1992
Leventis United (Ibadan) 1 1986
New Nigeria Bank (Benin City) 1 1985
Racca Rovers (Kano) 1 1978
Mighty Jets (Jos) 1 1972

Topscorers

[7]

Year Best scorers Team Goals
2002 Ghana Joetex Frimpong El-Kanemi Warriors 16
2003 Nigeria Chibuzor Ozurumba
Nigeria Endurance Idahor
Iwuanyanwu Nationale
Julius Berger
13
2004 Nigeria Kabiru Alausa Julius Berger 13
2005 Nigeria Timothy Anjembe
NigeriaJoseph Akpala
Lobi Stars
Bendel Insurance
12
2006 Nigeria Ikechukwu Ibenegbu El-Kanemi Warriors 10
2007 Nigeria Aruwa Ameh Kaduna United 10
2007–08 Nigeria Abubakar Babale Wikki Tourists/Sunshine Stars 14
2008–09 Nigeria Orok Akarandut Akwa United 17
2009–10 Nigeria Ahmed Musa Kano Pillars 18
2010–11 Nigeria Jude Aneke Kaduna United 20
2012 Nigeria Sibi Gwar Niger Tornadoes 17
2013 Nigeria Victor Namo Nasarawa United 18
2014 Nigeria Mfon Udoh Enyimba 23

References

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  6. http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4111/npfl/2015/08/22/14649642/shehu-dikko-appeals-to-governors-for-stadia-facilities
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links