The Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) has been described as the only football league in the country with a comprehensive player database and detailed match statistics.
The league’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Shola Ogunnowo, stated this while featuring as guest at the July edition of the Super Interview on the Sports World WhatsApp platform on Friday hosted by Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR) and Afonne Chukwuemeka.
Ogunnowo said the league’s interactive website provides the public with easy access to players’ data and match statistics, making it a unique platform in Nigerian football.
He added that beyond the website, the NLO has developed three different mobile applications tailored for football agents, fans, and league management.
According to him, these digital innovations have increased the league’s visibility, attracted greater interest from stakeholders, and created business opportunities for participating clubs.
He noted that the league is committed to improving its digital infrastructure, stressing that significant financial resources have already been invested to achieve the desired standard.
On measures being taken to curb misconduct among clubs and improve league management, Ogunnowo stressed that education remains the NLO’s strongest tool.
He explained that the league regularly organises training and retraining programmes for club administrators to improve professionalism and operational standards.
“The NLO continuously trains club administrators. While not every club official takes advantage of these programmes, those who participated have demonstrated remarkable improvement in the way they manage their clubs,” Ogunnowo stated.
“We also travelled with about 30 club chairmen to the United Kingdom to learn from successful football organisations. We repeated the initiative during the 2024/2025 season because we believe continuous learning is essential to the growth of our clubs,” he added.
Addressing the growing concerns over the standard of officiating, Ogunnowo clarified that although the NLO does not directly discipline referees, it maintains a firm stance against poor officiating.
According to him, every reported case of misconduct is formally referred to the Referees Appointment Committee and the Referees Department of the Nigeria Football Federation for investigation and disciplinary action.
Speaking on the future of the promising players in the league, Ogunnowo hinted that the league continues to provide young players with competitive opportunities and visibility, allowing them to attract attention from professional clubs, scouts, and national team selectors.
He said further that the NLO remains one of the most important platforms for identifying and nurturing future stars capable of representing Nigeria in international tournaments.
As Nigerian football continues to seek higher standards of governance and competitiveness, the NLO’s emphasis on administrative excellence, improved officiating oversight, and structured player development.
Credit: Michael Odetunde and Afonne Chukwuemeka
