PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football following a 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 move became necessary to address the repeated failures of Nigeria to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that Tinubu said the proposed reform would focus on strengthening governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football.
“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” Tinubu was quoted as saying.
The President said that while other sports had recorded meaningful progress since the reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission (NSC), football had continued to struggle because of structural weaknesses within the system.
“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.
Tinubu stressed that Nigerian football must begin to match the country’s exceptional talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.
The former Lagos State governor directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration and facilitate a broad, consultative reform process.
According to the President, the process will include appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations within the international football framework.
Tinubu also asked football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.
Thursday’s move came hours after the President of the NFF, Ibrahim Gusau, resigned from his position.
Gusau said he decided to quit in order to give other Nigerians the opportunity to contribute to the development of football in the country.
The NFF chief argued that despite the failure of the Super Eagles and Super Falcons to qualify for the World Cup, he was leaving the federation in a better position than he found it.
The NFF had come under intense pressure after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the Women’s World Cup, marking the first time Nigeria would not feature at the tournament since its inception in 1991.
The Super Falcons also failed to reach the semi-final of the competition following a loss to Cameroon.
Nigeria’s men’s national team, the Super Eagles, did not also feature at the World Cup earlier this year.
The latest presidential directive therefore sets the stage for a broad review of the structures governing Nigerian football, amid growing concerns over the country’s declining performance on the international stage.