The National Sports Commission (NSC) is set to deepen consultations with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Congress and other key stakeholders this week as Nigeria moves into a critical phase of the proposed comprehensive reform of football administration.

The development follows the circulation of a draft reform roadmap by the NSC to members of the NFF Congress, with stakeholders expected to scrutinise the document and submit their observations, recommendations and proposed amendments before the process moves to the next stage.

The consultation represents a significant step in the Federal Government’s effort to ensure that the proposed reset of Nigerian football is not imposed unilaterally, but shaped through broad stakeholder participation and in accordance with the statutes and regulations governing the game.

NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko had earlier disclosed that the Commission would engage the NFF Congress as part of the reform process after presenting Nigeria’s reform agenda to FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Zurich.

At the meeting in Switzerland, FIFA accepted the resignations of the principal NFF officers and agreed to continue engagements with the Nigerian Government, the NFF administration and CAF on a roadmap for comprehensive reforms covering the short, medium and long term.  

Dikko had stressed that the NFF Congress, as the federation’s highest decision-making body, must be carried along in determining the future structure and direction of Nigerian football.

“The Congress has to be carried along. We have started the consultation with the Congress members. We have given them the blueprint and we are asking them to look at it, give us their input and then we can move forward,” Dikko said.

The next round of engagement this week is therefore expected to focus increasingly on the substance of the draft roadmap, with Congress members and representatives of the various football constituencies expected to provide feedback on the proposed reforms.

The consultations are expected to involve representatives across the football ecosystem, including State Football Associations, clubs, players, coaches, referees, the media and other stakeholders.

Congress members had already indicated their willingness to support a comprehensive reset of Nigerian football following an earlier engagement with Dikko on August 28.

A delegation drawn from different zones and key football constituencies met the NSC chairman at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja and received a briefing on the President’s reform agenda, including issues relating to football governance, infrastructure, funding and the wider sports economy.  

The Congress subsequently expressed support for the reform process, while indicating that it would await the outcome of the engagements involving the NSC, FIFA and CAF before supporting the activation and implementation of the agreed roadmap.

The latest consultation consequently places Congress members in a more direct position to examine the proposed framework and influence its final shape before implementation.

Among the major issues expected to feature in the reform discussions are governance and accountability, stakeholder representation, the NFF electoral system, domestic competitions, development pathways, financial transparency and the overall structure of football administration.

Dikko had also disclosed that the reform programme would be divided into immediate, medium-term and long-term measures, with some elements expected to extend beyond the lifespan or mandate of any transitional arrangement.

One of the most sensitive issues remains the possibility of a FIFA-backed normalisation arrangement. Dikko explained that such a committee, if eventually considered, would ordinarily be assessed and appointed by FIFA, with clearly defined terms of reference and a specific timeline.

He also indicated that individuals with vested interests in future NFF elections should not be allowed to use a transitional reform structure to advance their own electoral ambitions.

The proposed electoral reforms could also represent one of the most far-reaching aspects of the roadmap, with Dikko previously suggesting the possibility of a system in which presidential candidates would present their complete teams and programmes to Congress for consideration.

However, the immediate priority is expected to be the completion of consultations and the harmonisation of the various recommendations before any final framework is adopted.

The process follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for comprehensive reform of Nigerian football, which specifically called for stronger governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability.  

The President’s directive came shortly after the resignation of former NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the Executive Committee, creating an unusual leadership vacuum within the federation.

The NFF subsequently suspended preparations for the previously scheduled September elective congress, while Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme was endorsed to oversee the Secretariat on an interim basis pending the conclusion of the reform process and further engagements with FIFA, CAF, government and stakeholders.  

With the draft roadmap now before Congress members and wider stakeholders, this week’s consultations could prove decisive in determining whether Nigeria’s football reset produces merely a change of personnel or delivers the deeper institutional reforms being demanded.

The expectation among stakeholders is that the final roadmap will establish a credible, transparent and sustainable framework capable of surviving the transition and binding the next elected NFF leadership to a clearly defined reform agenda.

The challenge for NSC now is to turn the broad agreement around the need for change into a roadmap that commands sufficient confidence among Congress, stakeholders, FIFA and CAF while preserving the stability and autonomy required for Nigerian football to function effectively.