President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football following a major shake-up in the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, saying the reform was necessary to address the country’s repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and global tournaments.
Tinubu said the overhaul must address longstanding weaknesses in the administration and development of the sport.
“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” the President said.
According to Tinubu, while other sports have recorded significant progress following the restructuring of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission (NSC), football has continued to struggle due to structural weaknesses.
“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” he said.
The President stressed that Nigeria’s football system must match the country’s abundant talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained success.
Tinubu directed the Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to maintain continuity in essential football administration while facilitating a broad and consultative reform process.
He also directed that the process include appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF, while ensuring that Nigeria continues to meet its obligations under the international football framework.
The President urged football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work collectively to build a stronger, more transparent and successful football system.
The directive came just hours after NFF President Ibrahim Gusau resigned from office. Gusau said he stepped down to give other Nigerians an opportunity to contribute to the development of football in the country.
Despite the failure of the Super Eagles and Super Falcons to qualify for major World Cup tournaments, Gusau said he was leaving the federation in a better position than he found it.
The NFF has faced mounting criticism following the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the Women’s World Cup, ending Nigeria’s participation in every edition of the tournament since its inception in 1991. The team also failed to reach the semi-finals of the competition after losing to Cameroon.
Nigeria’s men’s national team, the Super Eagles, likewise failed to qualify for the World Cup earlier this year, further intensifying calls for reforms within the country’s football administration.
