Football · Clubs · NNL
Nigeria National League (NNL)
The second tier: 34 clubs, four conferences, four promotion places.
Photo: Funman19, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Checked 30 September 2026
About the NNL
The Nigeria National League (NNL) is the second tier of Nigerian football, between the NPFL and the Nationwide League One. It traces its roots to the Second Division created in 1979 and was reorganised in 1991. In 2026-27 it has 34 clubs in four conferences; the winner of each conference is promoted straight to the NPFL, and the four winners then play a Super 4 tournament for the NNL title.
Clubs must pay a ₦20 million guarantee, show they owe no wages and prove who owns them before they can play. After the August 2026 NFF changes, chairman George Aluo handed over and the league is run day to day by its Chief Operating Officer, Danlami Alanana.
2026-27
The 34 clubs
| Conference | Clubs |
|---|---|
| A | Remo Stars, Edel, Godswill Akpabio United, Ikorodu City FA, Stormers, Heartland, Crown, Sunshine Stars, OYC |
| B | Beyond Limits, Solution, Akwa United, Smart City, Abakaliki, Right2Win, Dokkar Khairu, Ekiti United, Bayelsa United |
| C | El-Kanemi Warriors, DMD, FC Basira, NeuroSpark, Kebbi United, Adamawa United, Jigawa Golden Stars, Junior Danburam |
| D | Yobe Desert Stars, Wikki Tourists, Lobi Stars, ABS, Sokoto United, Bichi First, Kada Warriors, Mighty Jets Feeders |
Kick-off: 31 October 2026. Weekly results will appear here once the season starts.
2025-26
Last season
The 2025-26 season ran from November 2025 to April 2026. The four conference winners, all privately owned for the first time, went up: Inter Lagos, Sporting Lagos, Doma United and Ranchers Bees. Sporting Lagos won the Super 4 in Ikenne to become champions. Ten clubs were relegated to the NLO, including Calabar Rovers, Mighty Jets, Gombe United and Dakkada.
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Bendel Insurance |
| 2023 | Heartland |
| 2024 | Beyond Limits |
| 2025 | Warri Wolves |
| 2026 | Sporting Lagos |
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Famous names in the NNL
- Remo Stars (Ikenne): NPFL champions in 2024-25, relegated in 2026.
- Heartland (Owerri), formerly Iwuanyanwu Nationale: five league titles and CAF Champions League runners-up in 2009.
- Akwa United (Uyo): NPFL champions 2020-21 and Federation Cup winners 2015 and 2017.
- Lobi Stars (Makurdi): league champions 1999.
- Sunshine Stars (Akure): CAF Champions League semi-finalists 2012.
- El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri): 2026 Federation Cup winners, playing in the CAF Confederation Cup from the second tier.
Contact
Official channels: @nnationalleague on X and Facebook. We will add the official address once the league confirms it.
Quick answers
NNL: quick answers
When does the 2026-27 NNL season start?
The opening match is on 31 October 2026, with the full programme from 7 November. The Super 4 is planned for 14 to 18 April 2027.
How many clubs are promoted from the NNL?
Four: the winner of each of the four conferences goes up to the NPFL.
Who won the 2025-26 NNL?
Sporting Lagos, who won the Super 4 in Ikenne in May 2026.