President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football following a major shake-up in the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The directive comes after NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee resigned amid growing concerns over the state of Nigerian football.
Tinubu said the reform must address longstanding weaknesses in the administration and development of football, including governance, stakeholder representation, grassroots development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability.
The President said Nigerian football has continued to struggle despite the country’s abundance of talent, passion and resources, pointing to what he described as structural weaknesses within the system.
He directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the NFF secretariat and other football stakeholders to maintain essential administrative operations while beginning a broad and consultative reform process.
The process will also involve engagement with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to ensure that Nigeria remains compliant with international football regulations.
The crisis intensified after Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons also missed out on the 2027 Women’s World Cup for the first time in the competition’s history.
Tinubu called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the reform process in order to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.
Sun newspaper
