The ad hoc committee overseeing the Nigeria National League (NNL) on Wednesday in Abuja said the league’s 2015/2016 season would kick off on May 7.
The league body’s ad hoc committee also informed club officials and other stakeholders at the league’s congress that the season would be in an abridged format.
The abridged format will have eight clubs each in four groups.
In the draws held to group the clubs, Kaduna United, Sokoto United and Kogi United and five others are in Group A1 in the new format.
Group A2 has Kwara United, FC Taraba and Gombe United, which are all former NPFL clubsides which were relegated at the end of the last season.
Group B1 has, among others, Rivers State FA Cup champions Go Round FC, Remo Stars and Delta Force FC.
ABS FC, Gateway FC, Bayelsa United FC and Prime FC of Oshogbo are part of Group B2 setting.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the NNL Ad-hoc Committee, Seyi Akinwunmi, said the committee had to settle for the abridged league format because of time constraints.
“Time has already been wasted and we aim to have a league that will be successful and productive,’’ the First Vice-President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said.
He said he was sure the league would be concluded in good time, barring any last-minute change to the proposed kick-off date.
Winners in all four groups will automatically pick the qualification tickets to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).