The Nigeria National League (NNL) has introduced sweeping changes to its promotion system, scrapping the traditional playoff format and granting automatic qualification to the winners of its four conferences.
The decision was confirmed during the NNL General Assembly held on Tuesday and later announced in a communique released on Wednesday.
New Format for 2025/26 Season
According to the NNL, the upcoming 2025/26 NNL campaign will officially kick off on Saturday, November 8, 2025, with a high-profile opening fixture. The remainder of Week One matches will then be played across various venues on November 14, 15, and 16.
The competition will now be structured into four conferences; Conference A, Conference B, Conference C and Conference D, with each group producing one automatic qualifier for the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
“The AGM abolished Super 8 competition as the final stage to determine promotion of four clubs to the NPFL. Henceforth, clubs that come top in each of the four conferences shall be promoted to the NPFL,” the statement explained.
Super Four to Decide Overall Champion
While the playoff format has been eliminated, the NNL will still crown an overall champion. This will be decided through a Super Four tournament involving all four conference winners.
Participation in the tournament is mandatory for the conference champions. Failure to attend will result in immediate forfeiture of promotion rights, with the runner-up from that conference taking their place in the NPFL.
“Any of the four clubs that fail to participate in the Super 4 competition shall automatically relinquish their promotion status to the second club on the table of such conference,” the NNL clarified.
End of an Era
The move signals the end of the long-standing Super 8 playoff competition, which for years served as the decisive stage for clubs fighting for a place in Nigeria’s top flight. Supporters of the reform argue that the new system rewards consistency across the season, while critics fear it may reduce the drama traditionally associated with the promotion battles.
With the new structure, the NNL aims to create a more transparent and merit-based pathway to the NPFL while still retaining a showpiece event in the form of the Super Four.
