THE 2023/2024 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) will begin on Saturday, September 30.

The League’s Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, announced this in a letter addressed to all Club Chairmen and General Managers on Monday.

He also disclosed a 50 per cent increase in the league’s prize money – from the N100 million paid in the previous year to N150 million in the new season.

In addition to the winners’ ₦150 million prize, the 20 participating clubs would receive N10 million each as start-off grants from a pool of ₦200 million.

“We are therefore expecting the clubs to, as a matter of urgency, forward their respective account details to the NPFL secretariat for the transfer of the said amount as the season is set to commence on Saturday, September 30, 2023”, he stated.

He added, “After due deliberations by the chairman and our strategic partners, it was agreed that the prize money, since that is what connotes the true value of the league, be reviewed upwards to ₦150million”.

The letter also addressed some of the marketing concerns and assured the clubs that the NPFL Board would always take decisions and enter into contracts that serve the best interest of the league and the clubs.

“Be rest assured that we will at all times be guided by the very best interest of our league and, by implication, the participating clubs.

“We remain very hopeful that they or other prospective partners will show up since talks are still ongoing. Any success achieved will enlarge the economic frontiers of the league and, by extension, the clubs as we progress”, he said.

The ICIR reported on September 6 how the NPFL postponed the league because of its board’s general meeting.