Nigeria Football Reset: NSC takes reform blueprint to NFF Congress, Stakeholders - Dikko
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has disclosed that FIFA has endorsed Nigeria’s plan to undertake comprehensive reforms of the country’s football administration following the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, General Secretary and the entire Executive Committee.
Dikko made the disclosure on Arise TV on Friday after a high-level meeting with FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF) officials in Switzerland, where Nigeria’s football governance crisis and the way forward were discussed.
According to him, the resignation of the NFF leadership created an unusual situation because the existing football statutes do not clearly provide for a circumstance in which there is no legally constituted leadership running the federation.
He said Nigeria therefore approached FIFA to seek guidance, stressing that the discussions involved the FIFA President, Vice President, General Secretary, CAF Vice President, as well as legal representatives of the two international football governing bodies.
Dikko said the Nigerian government made it clear that the objective was not merely to replace the departed officials but to use the opportunity to undertake fundamental reforms capable of strengthening football administration in the country.
“FIFA endorsed the resignation, endorsed reform, agreed that the reform must happen, but it has to go through proper process and rulebooks, and they are ready to accommodate that,” Dikko said.
He explained that the reform process would not be imposed by the government, insisting that the NFF Congress, as the body comprising the federation’s stakeholders, would have to be properly consulted and involved in determining the future direction of Nigerian football.
Dikko disclosed that consultations with members of the NFF Congress had already commenced, with the NSC presenting a reform blueprint to Congress members for their consideration, contributions and input.
He said the process would subsequently be broadened to accommodate other stakeholders, while FIFA is expected to visit Nigeria for an on-site assessment and further discussions with the various parties involved in football administration.
“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,” he stated.
According to the NSC chairman, the proposed reforms will cover immediate, medium-term and long-term measures, with some aspects expected to go beyond the mandate of any transitional administration that may eventually emerge.
Dikko also explained that any normalisation committee would not simply be constituted by the Nigerian government, stressing that such a body would ordinarily be assessed and appointed by FIFA with clearly defined terms of reference and a specific timeline.
He said the proposed committee, if established, would have to be independent and should not include individuals with vested interests in future NFF elections, adding that participation in the process could carry restrictions on subsequently contesting or holding positions within the federation.
“The normalisation committee is normally a FIFA committee. FIFA will assess and appoint it, give it a clear timeline and terms of reference,” Dikko said, adding that such a process could take about six months and, depending on the scope of the reforms, up to one year.
He further disclosed that the proposed reform agenda would include a review of the NFF electoral system to make the process more transparent and potentially introduce a new approach to selecting the federation’s leadership, including a system where presidential candidates could present their complete teams and programmes to Congress for consideration.
Dikko said the ultimate objective was to establish a more transparent, accountable and sustainable football administration, adding that discussions were also being considered around an agreement involving the Nigerian government, FIFA and CAF to ensure that the reforms survive the transition and are implemented by the next elected NFF leadership.
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