By Oluwashina Okeleji BBC Sport, Lagos

The Nigeria Football Association has agreed to a season start date

Nigerian Sports Minister Abdulrahman Hassan Gimba met with NFL boss Oyuki Obaseki and sports official Patrick Ekeji to resolve the fall-out surrounding the appointment of referees for league matches.

Disagreement over this issue between the NFL and the NFA had previously led to the postponement of the original season start-time of 1 September.

However, despite the playing of fixtures, it seems there is still a difference of opinion between the relevant bodies.

"We will start the league first and then protest later," NFL chairman Oyuiki Obaseki told BBC Sport.

We will start the league first and then protest later NFL chairman Oyuiki Obaseki

"This means we are playing under protest, but we need to get play underway before complaining.

"The league will now kick off on 9 September in Benin between Insurance FC and Kwara United while other matches would take place on 12 September," Obaseki revealed.

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA), which is the parent football organisation in the country, has insisted that, according to the rules of world football's governing body Fifa, it is responsible for appointing referees for league matches.

Over the last two seasons, however, the NFL has appointed referees for the matches it organises.