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President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football, blaming structural weaknesses in the system for the country’s repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and global tournaments.
The directive is the government’s latest attempt to overhaul the administration and development of the country’s most popular sport and restore Nigeria’s fortunes on the international stage.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said the reform must address longstanding deficiencies in governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability.
“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” he said.
Tinubu expressed concern that while other sporting disciplines had recorded meaningful progress following the reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission (NSC), football had continued to struggle.
“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.
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The President said Nigeria must begin to match its exceptional football talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.
To drive the process, Tinubu directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Secretariat and relevant stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration while facilitating a broad and consultative reform process.
The process is expected to include appropriate consultations with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations under the international football framework.
Tinubu also called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and collaborate in building a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.
The directive comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns over Nigeria’s inconsistent performance and qualification setbacks, despite the country’s abundance of football talent and the huge public interest and investment traditionally devoted to the sport.
With the latest intervention, the Tinubu administration is placing institutional and governance reform at the heart of efforts to reverse the decline and reposition Nigerian football for sustained success at home and internationally.
