The Nigerian National League (formerly known as ''National Division 1'') is the second tier of club football in Nigeria.

History

From 1997-2011, the league has been split into 1A for Northern teams and 1B for southern teams. The top two from each division are promoted to the

Nigerian Premier League The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is the highest level of the Nigerian football league system, for the Nigerian club-football championships. The Nigerian league has suffered, like many others, from the financial impact and dwindl ...

the next season. The exceptions were the 2005–06 and 2006-07 seasons where there were four divisions of eight teams each, with each division winner winning promotion. Up to four teams in each division are relegated each season to the

Amateur First Division The Amateur First Division ( tr, Amatör Birinci Küme) comprises a number of football leagues that make up the seventh tier of the Turkish football league system.

. The league was renamed 19 June 2008. In 2012 the league expanded from 32 to 36 teams with 2 more teams promoted. The league used the 2006 format, with four divisions of nine teams each, with division winners receiving automatic promotion. In 2012-13, it went back to two divisions of sixteen. For the 2015 season, it used four divisions of eight teams.

2020-21 season

On 6 November 2020, the league's organizing committee agreed to continue the four division North and South format for the 2021 season. The start date was to be three weeks after the top division NPFL resumes. The league is expected to start on 30 January 2021 after the successful draws at the Congress held on Friday 15 January at

Ebonyi State Ebonyi State ( ig, Ȯra Ebonyi) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north and northeast by Benue State, Enugu State to the west, Cross River State to the east and southeast, and Abia State to the southwes ...

On Saturday 30 January 2021, an Emergency congress took place in Ebonyi State where the kick off date was changed to 13 February 2021. 21 clubs voted in favor of 13 February while 4 clubs voted in favor of 6 February Group A1 * Aklosendi International,

Lafia Lafia is a town in North Central Nigeria. It is the capital city of Nasarawa State and has a population of 330,712 inhabitants according to the 2006 census results. It is the largest town in Nasarawa state. History Lafia, also known as Lafian b ...

EFCC FC EFCC may refer to: * Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, a Nigerian law enforcement agency * Evangelical Free Church of Canada, a Canadian evangelical denomination * Evangelical Free Church of China, a Hong Kong evangelical denomination, for ...

Abuja Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...

El-Kanemi Warriors F.C. El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club is a football team based in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. They play at El-Kanemi Stadium. They ended their 2005, season in the lower half of the Nigeria Premier League.They were relegated to the Nigeria Divisi ...

Maiduguri Maiduguri is the capital and the largest city of Borno State Borno State is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Yobe to the west, Gombe to the southwest, and Adamawa to the south while its eastern border form ...

Gombe United F.C. Gombe United Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in Gombe. They play in the Nigeria Professional Football League. Their home stadium is the new Pantami Stadium, having moved from Abubakar Umar Memorial Stadium in 2010. History Th ...

Green Berets of Zaria Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

Mighty Jets of Jos Mighty Jets International FC is a Nigerian football club from Jos, playing in the Nigeria National League. They play at the Jos International Stadium, which has a capacity of 45,000. History They are one of only a half dozen active 'privately o ...

* NAF FC * Oyah Sports International,

Minna Minna is a city in Middle Belt Nigeria. It is the capital city of Niger State, one of Nigeria's 36 federal states. It consists of two major ethnic groups: the Gbagyi and the Nupe. History Archaeological evidence suggests settlement in the ...

* Rarara FC,

Katsina Katsina, likely from "Tamashek" eaning son or bloodor mazza enwith "inna" otheris a Local Government Area and the capital city of Katsina State, in northern Nigeria.

Sokoto United F.C. Sokoto United is a Nigerian football club based in Sokoto. They play in the second-tier division in Nigerian football, the Nigeria National League The Nigerian National League (formerly known as ''National Division 1'') is the second tier ...

FC Taraba FC may refer to: Businesses, organisations, and schools * Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India * Finncomm Airlines (IATA code) * FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC * Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Paki ...

Group A2 *

ABS F.C. Abubakar Bukola Saraki FC is a Nigerian association football club from Ilorin, Nigeria. They were promoted to the Nigeria Premier League at the end of the 2009–10 season. They played their debut season's home games in Offa and Bauchi while ...

Ilorin Ilorin is the List of capitals of states of Nigeria, capital city of Kwara State in Western Nigeria.. Retrieved 18 February 2007 As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the List of Nigerian cities by population, 7th ...

DMD Borno DMD may refer to: Science and medicine * Dimethyldioxirane, an organic molecule * Doctor of Dental Medicine, an academic degree for the profession of Dentistry * Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a neurodegenerative disease * Dysmyelogenic leukod ...

Federal Road Safety FC Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

* G&K Shekarau FC,

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria * Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...

* Kebbi United * Kogi United *

Malumfashi United Malumfashi (or Malum Fashi) is a local government in Katsina State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Malumfashi. It has an area of 674 km² and a population of 182,920 at the 2006 census. The current chairman of the local governme ...

Niger Tornadoes Niger Tornadoes Football Club is a soccer club based in Minna, Nigeria. They currently play in the Nigerian Professional Football League. Their home stadium is Bako Kontagora Stadium and have also played home game at Confluence Stadium in Lok ...

* Yobe Desert Stars F.C. *

Zamfara United Zamfara United Football Club is a Nigerian football club, based in the town of Gusau in Zamfara State. History Before the 2008–09 season there was a brief power struggle for the chairman position that saw Shehu Gusau sacked and then retained a ...

Group B1 *

Calabar Rovers Calabar Rovers FC are a Nigeria soccer team based in Calabar. They play their games at U. J. Esuene Stadium. History The club was founded in 1977. They were one of the original members of the Nigerian Second Division which was established in 19 ...

* Delta Force F.C. * Dynamite Force FC,

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

Ekiti United Ekiti United is a professional association football club based in Ekiti State. It plays in the Nigeria national league The Nigerian National League (formerly known as ''National Division 1'') is the second tier of club football in Nigeria. ...

* Giant Brillars,

Enugu Enugu ( ; ) is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the 2022 Nigerian census. The name ''Enugu'' is derived from the two Igbo words ''Énú ...

Go Round F.C. Go Round Football Club is an association football club based in Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria. They play their home games at Krisdera Hotel Stadium, and currently compete in the NNL, the second-tier in Nigerian football. The team is owned by Fe ...

Omoku Omoku is a town in Rivers State, Nigeria with a population of about 200,000 people. It Is located in the southern part of the state, near the boundary with Delta State and Imo State. It is the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Governme ...

* Nilàyo FC,

Abeokuta Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding are ...

* Nnewi United * Osun United F.C. * 3SC,

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

Stationery Stores F.C. Stationery Stores F.C. is a Nigerian football club based in Lagos. History Stationery Stores Football Club was founded in 1958 by Israel Adebajo, who ran the very successful Nigerian Office Stationery Supply Stores Limited. They immediately esta ...

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

Vandrezzer FC Vandrezzer Football Club is a professional football club in Lagos state, Nigeria, that competes in the Nigeria National League, the second tier of Nigerian Professional Football League. Founded in 2019, the club joined the Nigerian National League ...

Group B2 *

Abia Comets F.C. Abia Comets is a Nigerian football (soccer), football club based in Umuahia. They play in the second-tier in Nigerian football, the Nigeria National League. 5,000 capacity Umuahia Township Stadium is the home of Abia Comets FC. Current squad ...

* Apex Krane FC, Delta State *

Bayelsa United Bayelsa United FC is a football club based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, Nigeria. They play in the second division of Nigerian football, the Nigeria National League. Their home games are played at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. ...

* Bendel Insurance *

Crown F.C. Crown FC is a Nigerian professional association football club based in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, that competes in the Nigeria National League. The club plays at the Lekan Salami Stadium, with a capacity of 10,000. For the 2010–11 season they played ...

* Gateway United F.C. * Godosky FC,

Anambra Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi Stat ...

* Holy Arrows FC, Oleh * Ibom Youth,

Uyo Uyo is the capital city of Akwa Ibom in South South Nigeria. Ibibio is the language spoken in Uyo. It became the capital on September 23, 1987 when Akwa Ibom was created from the former Cross River State. According to the 2006 Nigerian Cens ...

* J'Atete FC,

Ughelli Ughelli is a town in Delta State, Nigeria, and one of the 24 kingdoms that make up the Urhobo Nation. It also serves as the headquarters of Ughelli North local government area of Delta State. The city is indigenous to the Urhobo ethnic nation ...

* Joy Cometh FC,

FC One Rocket FC may refer to: Businesses, organisations, and schools * Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India * Finncomm Airlines (IATA code) * FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC * Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakist ...

Ikot Ekpene Ikot Ekpene, also known as The Raffia City, is a historic town in south-southern state of Akwa Ibom. It is the political and cultural capital of the Annang ethnic group in Nigeria (Nair, 1972). The town is located on the A342 highway that par ...

Remo Stars F.C. Remo Stars Football Club is a professional football club based in Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria. The club competes in the Nigeria Professional Football League, the top division of the Nigeria Football League system. They are nicknamed the Sky Blue ...

Nigeria National League Stadiums 2020-21

2019-20 season

The season kicked off in November 2019. The 42 teams were consolidated back into four divisions. The league went for the December break, and didn't return. The league was later cancelled due to the outbreak of Covid-19 outbreak in Nigeria. No team was promoted to the Premier division after football activities were stopped due to the rampaging effect of Covid-19. Group A1 *

*Aklosendi Int'l *DMD Borno *Federal Road Safety FC *Green Beret *

Kada City F.C. Kada City Football Club is a Nigerian football (soccer), football club based in Kaduna currently competing in the second tier of the Nigerian football league system, Nigeria football league, Nigeria National League History Kada City was created ...

*Kebbi United * Kogi United *NAF FC *Malumfashi FC *Oyah Sports *FC Zamfara Group A2 *EFCC F.C. *

El-Kanemi Warriors El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club is a football team based in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. They play at El-Kanemi Stadium. They ended their 2005, season in the lower half of the Nigeria Premier League.They were relegated to the Nigeria Divi ...

*Gombe United * Kwara United *Mighty Jets *Rarara FC * Sokoto United *

Yobe Desert Stars Yobe Desert Stars Football Club is a Nigerian football (soccer) club based in the city of Damaturu. Starting in 2018 they will play in the Nigerian Premier League after consecutive promotions. History They started as an Amateur club and eventua ...

Group B1 *Abia Comets *Apex Krane FC, Delta State *Ibom Youth *Dynamite FC *

* Gateway United F.C. * Giant Brillars *

*Nilàyo FC * Osun United F.C. *

Shooting Stars S.C. Shooting Stars Sports Club (often nicknamed 3SC or ''Oluyole Warriors'') is a Nigerian professional Association football, football club based in Ibadan. History The club was one of the founders of the Nigerian Premier League in 1972, when they ...

Group B2 *Bayelsa United * Bendel Insurance *

*J'Atete FC *Joy Cometh FC *Lamray United *

Past winners

The league was a single table until 1998. Between 1998-2011 winners of the North and South divisions played a one-game playoff to determine the overall Division champion. 2011-2017 the champion was determined by a Super Four mini-league between the four promoted teams. In 2018 it was a Super Eight to pick the four teams.

References

External links

2006-07 season on rsssf

2009-10 final 1-A table (JUTH FC site)

Two clubs opt out of NNL

National League hits TV

Nigeria National League holds Seminar

2012 league lineup
{{CAF second leagues 2 Second level football leagues in Africa Sports leagues established in 1979 1979 establishments in Nigeria