FIFA has yet to give final approval to the proposed restructuring of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), despite a high-level meeting between Nigerian football officials and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Zurich, Switzerland.
The meeting, held at the FIFA headquarters on Tuesday, September 1, focused on the leadership crisis in Nigerian football and the Federal Government’s plan to reform the administration of the sport.
The Nigerian delegation was led by National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Shehu Dikko. NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, former NFF president Amaju Pinnick, Acting NFF General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme and NFF Director of Legal Services Okey Obi were also involved in the discussions.
This development followed the resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee.
Gusau announced his resignation on August 27 after mounting pressure over the state of Nigerian football.
His departure was followed by the resignation of other members of the NFF leadership, creating a major vacuum in the administration of the federation.
The crisis became more serious after Nigeria suffered a series of setbacks on the international stage.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing their play-off match to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties.
The Super Falcons also failed to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, ending their record of appearing at every edition of the competition since it began in 1991.
Nigeria’s age-grade teams have also struggled in recent qualification campaigns, adding to concerns about the country’s football development structure.
Following the resignation of the NFF leadership, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the National Sports Commission to begin a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football.
The President asked the NSC to work with the NFF secretariat and engage FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as part of the process.
The directive was aimed at addressing what the Federal Government described as deep structural problems within the administration of Nigerian football.
One of the proposals being considered is the establishment of a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of the NFF while broader reforms are carried out.
The committee is expected to provide an interim structure and help prepare the ground for a fresh leadership election after the reform process.
However, the proposed arrangement still requires further discussions with FIFA.
Reports had suggested that the Nigerian delegation travelled to Zurich to secure FIFA’s approval for the proposed normalisation committee. But following the meeting, the position became clearer: FIFA has agreed to continue discussions on the reform process rather than publicly confirming the immediate establishment of the committee.
The NFF said FIFA accepted the resignations of the federation’s principal officers and agreed to continue working with the Nigerian government, the NFF administration and CAF on a comprehensive reform roadmap.
The football governing body is therefore expected to remain involved in determining how the transition will be handled.
The NFF said the meeting agreed to further engagements aimed at fine-tuning a roadmap covering the short, medium and long term.
The objective is to produce an inclusive NFF and create a stable environment for the development of Nigerian football.
“At a meeting inside FIFA House in Zurich, Switzerland, attended by FIFA, CAF, CAF advisors, NSC and NFF Administration, it was agreed to proceed with engagements and interactions to fine-tune a roadmap that will ensure the delivery of the expected reforms both in the short, medium and long term, and to ensure that an inclusive new NFF emerges going forward and with the enabling environment, peaceful and stable to be in position to deliver success both on and off the pitch for the benefit and growth of Nigeria Football,” the NFF said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also confirmed that the meeting centred on the future of Nigerian football.
“I was pleased to sit down with a delegation from Nigeria, led by National Sports Commission Chairman Shehu Dikko, at the Home of FIFA in Zürich to hold important discussions and align on our vision for football in the country,” Infantino said.
He added that the discussions covered institutional, governance and developmental matters.
The talks are important because FIFA statutes generally protect the autonomy of national football associations from political interference.
Any restructuring of the NFF must therefore be handled carefully to prevent a situation that could trigger disciplinary action against Nigeria.
The involvement of CAF is also significant. The continental football body was represented during the Zurich discussions, alongside FIFA advisers, the NSC and the NFF administration.
The next stage is expected to focus on the details of the reform roadmap, including the structure of the interim administration and the process that will eventually lead to a new elected NFF leadership.
There have been reports that FIFA could send officials to Nigeria as part of the process. Such a visit would allow the world governing body to engage directly with government officials, football stakeholders and the NFF administration before a final position is reached on the proposed transition.
The identity and composition of any normalisation committee would also be an important part of the discussions.
Any individual selected to serve in such an arrangement would be expected to meet the relevant eligibility and integrity requirements applicable to football administrators.
One name that has emerged in discussions around the possible leadership of an interim arrangement is AbdulHakeem Uthman Mustapha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. His reported links to FIFA structures have also attracted attention as the government considers possible options for the reform process.
However, the final composition of any committee has not been officially announced.
The situation has also created uncertainty over the NFF elective congress that was scheduled for September 27.
CIURTESY: PoliticsNigeria
