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From Abel Leonard, Abuja
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has directed its members nationwide to boycott the forthcoming Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Ibadan, Oyo State, and all other activities of the Federation over its continued exclusion from the Congress.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, jointly signed by SWAN President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, and Secretary-General, Amb. Ikenna Okonkwo, the Association described the NFF’s action as “unacceptable, retrogressive, and an affront to the role of the sporting media in national football development.”
According to SWAN, the persistent sidelining of the Association from the statutory composition of the NFF Congress undermines transparency and inclusiveness in football administration.
“The media is a critical tripod in the growth of sports globally. SWAN, as the professional body coordinating sports media in Nigeria, has consistently engaged the NFF leadership on the need to restore our rightful place within its Congress. Unfortunately, while claiming to expand its Congress, the Federation has chosen to sideline us, a move that is both short-sighted and detrimental to Nigerian football,” the statement said.
The Association recalled that its efforts to foster cooperation with the NFF since the emergence of the current leadership had been rebuffed, accusing the Federation of “employing divisive and destructive approaches” in the management of Nigerian football.
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SWAN further expressed concern over the dwindling fortunes of Nigerian football despite the enormous financial and institutional support the NFF receives from government and corporate sponsors.
“The continued decline of Nigerian football is a direct result of maladministration. It is time to put a decisive end to this dangerous trend. Nigeria cannot afford to watch its most cherished sport deteriorate under avoidable circumstances,” the statement added.
Consequently, the Association instructed all its members nationwide to refrain from covering or publicising any NFF activity, including the Ibadan AGA.
“A task force will be set up to ensure strict enforcement of this directive, while the Association simultaneously begins a thorough investigation and public exposure of the maladministration and backward practices that have become synonymous with the Federation’s operations which cost the country back-to-back World Cup qualification failures,” the statement read.
Reiterating its stance, SWAN said the exclusion of sporting media from the NFF Congress “will no longer be tolerated,” stressing that it remains a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s football ecosystem.
