Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) presidents, former secretaries-general, senior football administrators and leaders of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) are currently meeting the joint FIFA and CAF delegation in Abuja as consultations on the future of Nigerian football enter a crucial stage.

The high-level engagement, taking place at the Africa Trade Center in Abuja on Tuesday, forms part of the second and final day of the FIFA/CAF assessment mission into the crisis engulfing the NFF.  

The international delegation is consulting a broad spectrum of stakeholders following the resignation of former NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, members of the Executive Committee and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.

FIFA and CAF subsequently suspended the NFF electoral process while undertaking an assessment of the legal, governance, administrative and electoral implications of the developments within the federation. The two bodies have stressed that no final decision has been taken on the way forward.  

Among the former NFF leaders participating in Tuesday’s consultations are former presidents Sani Lulu and Aminu Maigari, former NFF vice-president Senator Obinna Ogba, and former secretaries-general Sani Toro, Barrister Musa Amadu and Fanny Amoo.

Remo Stars proprietor and chairman, Hon. Kunle Soname, and former international footballer and administrator Chief Segun Odegbami are also among the stakeholders participating in the engagement.  

Their presence provides FIFA and CAF with an opportunity to hear from individuals who have previously occupied key positions within the NFF and have first-hand experience of the federation’s governance structures and relationship with the international football bodies.

SWAN is also strongly represented at the meeting, led by National President Isaiah Kemje Benjamin, Secretary-General Ikenna Okonkwo and National Deputy Secretary-General Samuel Ahmadu, alongside other senior officials.

The involvement of the sports media body is significant as FIFA and CAF seek wider input from stakeholders outside the immediate NFF administrative structure.

The consultations are expected to cover the proposed reform of Nigerian football, the future of the NFF electoral process, the role of the NFF Congress, governance structures, stakeholder representation and the appropriate mechanism for filling the leadership vacuum.

The question of an interim arrangement versus a possible FIFA/CAF-backed Normalisation Committee remains one of the contentious issues surrounding the reform process.

State Football Association chairmen have reportedly advocated an interim committee, while FIFA and CAF are examining the proposal against the applicable football statutes and regulations.  

However, the international delegation has not announced any decision on the matter. Its mandate is currently focused on hearing the different positions, establishing the facts and assessing the available options before reporting its findings to the relevant FIFA and CAF authorities.  

The consultations involving former NFF officials and SWAN therefore provide another important opportunity for stakeholders to present their recommendations on how Nigerian football can emerge from the current crisis with a stronger, more inclusive and sustainable governance structure.

The FIFA/CAF mission is expected to conclude its Abuja engagements later Tuesday, after which the delegation will compile its findings for consideration by the leadership of the two continental and world football governing bodies.

The outcome of the assessment could shape the next phase of Nigeria’s football governance, including the transition process, electoral roadmap and broader reforms aimed at restoring stability to the NFF.

For stakeholders across Nigerian football, the expectation is that the final recommendations will reflect broad consultation and provide a credible pathway capable of addressing both the immediate leadership vacuum and the deeper governance challenges facing the country’s football administration.