As Nigerian football enters a new phase following the departure of the Nigeria Football Federation board and President Bola Tinubu’s appeal to address what he called “repeated failures,” stakeholders have called for grassroots-driven reforms.
The NFF’s president, Ibrahim Gusau, general secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, and eleven other executive committee members resigned, creating a power vacuum at the top of the nation’s football administration. As a result, an interim board has been appointed to manage the organization.
Ademola Olajire, who oversaw the NFF’s media and communications division, will act as interim deputy general secretary, while Emmanuel Ikpeme, a former deputy general secretary, has been named interim general secretary.
Gusau announced his retirement last Thursday at a news conference in Abuja. His term was set to expire in September.
The performance of Nigeria’s national and youth teams, especially the men’s and women’s senior teams’ inability to qualify for their respective World Cups, had drawn increasing criticism of the NFF.
The NFF has been questioned over its financial management and governance in addition to its performance on the field.
In the wake of the development, Yemi Idowu, a member of the 10-year Football Masterplan developed by the late President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to restructure Nigeria’s football development process, feels the reforms must begin with the country’s local football structure.
There is reform. They only need to do as advised.
“Your state football will function properly if you can keep your local football team running. Your regional football team will succeed if your state football team is doing well. Your national football team will succeed if your regional team is performing well.
How can we attend an African U-17 competition when there isn’t a Nigerian U-17 competition? When there is no state U-17 competition, how can there be a Nigerian U-17 competition? If there is no local government U-17 competition, how can there be a state U-17 competition?
But it’s not possible if people want to sit down in Abuja, invite any Canary Islander they don’t know, and gather them for four weeks to go and play in the U-17 Africa Cup and expect another result.”
Harrison Jalla, a former international and head of the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Initiative, emphasized that the reforms must result in a more democratic football administration.
“Until the right thing is done, the struggle will not end.” All federating units must democratically elect the NFF Congress and its executive committee on an equal representation basis, and private sector participation must be permitted, according to Jalla.
Before new elections are held to install a new board, the National Sports Commission is reportedly in communication with FIFA regarding the establishment of a normalization committee.
