NPFL change: Privately owned clubs lead promotion charge

By: David Akande

Private clubs are tightening their control over Nigerian football. All four teams taking part in the 2026/27 NPFL season are privately owned and have secured promotion in the 2026 NNL campaign.

Doma United FC, Inter Lagos FC, Sporting Lagos FC and Ranchers Bees have all earned their place in the top flight, and their rise should serve as a strong motivation for other private investors wishing to get into the game.

Ranchers Bees sealed their promotion ticket despite a loss to Gombe United, doing enough to maintain first place in the NNL Conference D.

The Kaduna-based club has completed a long-awaited return to the NPFL after an 18-year absence from football’s top flight. Super Eagles striker Sadiq Umar, along with Honorable Bello El-Rufai, acquired the club in late 2025 and by 2026, that investment has already paid off with promotion. It is a positive development to have a club with so much history in the NPFL.

Lagos rivals Sporting Lagos and Inter Lagos will also participate in the upcoming NPFL season after topping their respective NNL conferences. Both clubs, founded in the early 2020s, indicate the growing influence of private ownership, securing promotion despite only being founded in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Sporting Lagos, in particular, will seek stability this time after suffering relegation in the 2023/2024 season and taking a long time to return.

Doma United have also bounced back, regaining promotion to the NPFL after relegation in the 2023/2024 season. This is the second time the Savannah Tigers have reached the top flight since the club’s inception in 1994.

This is a big boost for private clubs in Nigeria. It reinforces the idea that with the right structure, investment and perseverance, breaking into the country’s top-tier league is just a matter of time.