NWFL Suspends Expansion Of Premier League

..Seeks Improvement On Officiating

The Nigeria Women’s Football League has resolved to elevate the standard of officiating matches in order to help improve the women’s game in Nigeria.

This is a part of the communiqué issued at the end of the virtual congress of the Nigeria Women’s Football League held on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Congress agreed that efforts should be made to solicit the assistance of match officials committees in making teams compete fairly and the country’s women’s top flight more attractive.

Another important resolution reached at the meeting was the suspension of the motion to expand the NWFL Championship from 10 teams to 20 for the 2023–2024 season, which was previously adopted at the Annual General Assembly on October 5, 2023. The Congress agreed to maintain the status quo with the current number of 10 clubs and review modalities for increasing the number of teams starting next season.

Other resolutions reached at the emergency meeting of the body to deliberate on important issues through a series of motions concerning the Championship and Nationwide Leagues of the NWFL Congress were resolved as follows:

The Congress applauded the ongoing successful implementation of the NWFL Premiership to date and the efforts of clubs to continue to honour their match obligations without any default.

Congress rejected the motion to suspend the replacement of the Nationwide League with the States League as approved at the Annual General Assembly on October 5, 2023. The States League will therefore commence in the 2023–2024 season, but Congress has mandated additional discussions and a review of the proposed modalities for its operation, especially concerning promotion and relegation from the States League into the NWFL Championship, before the commencement of the League.

Congress approved the motion that the NWFL would liaise with the State Football Associations on the modalities for restructuring the Nationwide League into the States League, scheduled to commence in the ongoing 2023–2024 season.

The NWFL Congress passed a vote of confidence on the board of the Nigeria Women’s Football League for their achievement so far and for their resolve to realize the Women Football Rising strategy.