The joint FIFA and CAF fact-finding mission has returned to Zurich with submissions from a broad spectrum of Nigerian football stakeholders after two days of consultations aimed at finding a lasting solution to the crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The consultations brought together representatives of major constituencies across the Nigerian football ecosystem, including State Football Association chairmen, players, coaches, referees, leagues, clubs, supporters, sports media, former NFF administrators, football investors, sponsors and other commercial stakeholders. 

Among the prominent participants were former NFF Presidents Sani Abdullahi Lulu and Aminu Maigari, who brought their experience from previous administrations to the discussions on the federation’s governance structure and the way forward.

Former NFF Vice-President Senator Obinna Ogba also participated, alongside former General-Secretaries Sani Toro, Barrister Musa Amadu, Fanny Amoo, Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Dr Tijani Yusuf, providing the FIFA/CAF delegation with perspectives from different eras of NFF administration. 

The former administrators were among those who presented proposals on how to address the recurring governance problems in Nigerian football. Their intervention included calls for a structured transition and comprehensive reforms before another NFF election, although the various proposals remain subject to consideration by FIFA and CAF.

The football business community was also represented, with Remo Stars Chairman and the Chairman of Bet9ja and ValueJet, Hon. Kunle Soname, participating in the consultations. Chichi Nwoko, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Top Tier Sports Management, was also among the stakeholders bringing the perspective of football’s commercial and management ecosystem.

Former international and multiple-time NFF presidential aspirant Chief Segun Odegbami also participated, adding the perspective of a former player and long-standing stakeholder in Nigerian football to the discussions.

The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) delegation was led by National President Isaiah Kemje Benjamin, Secretary-General Ikenna Okonkwo and Deputy Secretary-General Samuel Ahmadu, with veteran media figures including Dr Mitchell Obi and Dr Mumuni Alao also participating. SWAN presented a separate position paper advocating a structural reset of Nigerian football governance and an end to what it described as about 16 years of media exclusion from formal football governance. 

The wider media and commercial representation was significant because the consultations extended beyond football administrators to stakeholders involved in broadcasting, marketing, sponsorship and public accountability, reflecting the increasing commercial and institutional dimensions of the game.

State FA chairmen, players’ representatives, coaches, referees, supporters and the domestic leagues and clubs also featured in the consultations. The NFF’s stakeholder framework provided for representation from the NPFL, NWFL, NNL and Nationwide League One, alongside player, coaching and refereeing constituencies. The wider reform discussions also involved grassroots and disability-football interests, including NARPHERSD.

The consultations have produced differing views on the structure of the transition. While some State FA chairmen have maintained that the NFF Congress and existing statutes can provide a pathway out of the leadership vacuum, other stakeholders have proposed a broader transitional mechanism, including consideration of a Normalisation Committee. No final transitional structure has been announced by FIFA or CAF.

With the delegation now back in Zurich, FIFA and CAF are expected to review the submissions and positions presented by the various constituencies before determining the next steps. The Abuja exercise was a fact-finding and consultative process, meaning the participation of any stakeholder or presentation of any proposal should not be interpreted as FIFA or CAF having endorsed that position.