The Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO), Olushola Ogunnowo, has stated that the existing 500 clubs in Nigeria’s third-tier league are insufficient to cater for the vast football talents spread across the country.

 

Ogunnowo made the disclosure during a podcast interview on ECN Hard Truths, where he emphasized that Nigeria remains richly blessed with football talent at the grassroots level.

 

According to him, virtually every community in the country has gifted players waiting to be discovered, but the lack of private investment in club ownership has slowed structured development.

 

“Nigeria is so blessed with football talents that almost every community has a wonderful talent waiting to be discovered,” he said. “However, the inability of public-spirited individuals to embrace football club ownership as a business venture has relegated the game to mere corporate social responsibility in many areas.”

 

The Ogun State University graduate advised club owners to operate in line with established football regulations, stressing that professionalism is key to sustainable growth in the league system.

Ogunnowo also explained the rationale behind the recent reintroduction of the home-and-away format in the NLO.

 

He recalled that following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and heightened insecurity across parts of the country, the league adopted a “Stadium League” format. Under that system, clubs were zoned into designated centers where they played matches within a specified period, with winners emerging from each center.

 

“After the COVID-19 pandemic and the high level of insecurity, we embraced the Stadium League where clubs played in centralized venues,” he explained. “But clubs later complained that their players did not have enough matches in a season and began agitating for a return to the home-and-away format that was in place before COVID-19.”

 

He revealed that during the recent general congress of the NLO — attended by representatives from all states — stakeholders resolved to revert to the traditional home-and-away system.

 

However, Ogunnowo disclosed that some clubs have since written to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Congress requesting a return to the Stadium format.

 

“The Federation will look at their appeal and direct us on what to do,” he said. “The league belongs to the clubs. Without them, we would not be here. It is their right to appeal, and their appeal must be considered on its merit.”

 

His remarks come amid ongoing efforts to strengthen grassroots football development and expand opportunities for emerging talents across Nigeria.