NFF Needs Structural Surgery, Not Leadership Change — Sarma

Gombe State Football Association chairman, Yakubu Sarma, has called for a comprehensive restructuring of Nigerian football, warning that replacing leaders without addressing institutional weaknesses will not deliver meaningful or lasting reforms.

Sarma said no state FA chairman was opposed to reforming the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but insisted that stakeholders must first agree on what needs to change, how the reforms should be implemented and the structures required to sustain them.

Speaking in an interview amid growing agitation for reforms in Nigerian football, he argued that the crisis confronting the country’s football administration went beyond leadership and required a fundamental review of the system.

“No FA chairman is against reform. Not a single FA chairman is against reform. The only problem we have with the reform is: who are we going to reform, and how do we intend to carry out the reform?” Sarma said.

“Go to the NFF; there are a lot of things that need to be reformed. Are we going to carry out the reform internally and start from there?”

The Gombe FA chairman maintained that changing the leadership of the federation without correcting the weaknesses in its administrative and operational structures would achieve little.

He said the foundations of Nigerian football administration needed urgent attention, warning that any new leadership would struggle to deliver results if the system remained unchanged.

“No matter who you bring, if the system is not working, the person cannot work,” he said.

“I so much believe that when the foundation is faulty, there is nothing you build on it that will stand. The foundation of the NFF, as it is now, is faulty, unless we put a stronger structure in place that can stand the test of time.

“Even if we change leadership now in the name of reform, it will not last.”

Funding, Leagues, Infrastructure Under Scrutiny

Sarma identified funding, financial management, the legal framework governing football administration, league operations, infrastructure and the competence of administrators as key areas requiring scrutiny.

He said stakeholders must examine how Nigerian football is funded, how resources are generated and managed, and whether the existing leagues serve the interests of players and the wider football system.

According to him, reform efforts should begin with an assessment of the entire football ecosystem rather than focusing exclusively on who occupies leadership positions at the NFF.

“First and foremost, we have to look at the ecosystem. How does it actually operate? Who is funding the NFF? How do we get the resources? Who is managing them, and how do we intend to manage them?” he asked.

He also questioned the effectiveness of the country’s league structures, stressing the need to determine whether competitions were delivering tangible benefits to players and contributing to the development of the game.

“Now, we look at our leagues. How are these leagues functioning? To whose benefit? Are the players actually benefiting? Is the system benefiting? Do we have the infrastructure on the ground?” he said.

Sarma’s position places the debate over football reform within a broader discussion about the institutional arrangements needed to improve the administration and development of the game in Nigeria.

Sarma Wants Competence Over Sentiment

The Gombe FA chairman also called for clear criteria to determine who should administer Nigerian football, arguing that appointments and the composition of football leadership should be guided by competence and experience rather than sentiment.

He said stakeholders needed to define the responsibilities, qualifications and expertise required at different levels of football administration before deciding on the personnel to implement reforms.

“When you go into the nitty-gritty of administering football in Nigeria, who is supposed to administer football? Who is supposed to be there, and who is not supposed to be there?” he asked.

“Are we going to do it based on sentiment, or are we going to do it based on competence and experience? These are things we need to sit down and define.”

He argued that without clear institutional rules and a properly designed reform pathway, bringing new people into the federation would not necessarily change the way it operates.

Sarma urged football stakeholders to agree on the changes required and develop a gradual process for rebuilding the system.

“Unless we define these things, even if we bring some people on board, they will still be there. We need to go down and define all these things, and then find a pathway through which we can put Nigerian football on the right course,” he said.

The chairman warned that without such a fundamental review, efforts to reform Nigerian football would continue to reproduce the same weaknesses, regardless of changes in leadership.

He said the priority should be to establish a sound institutional foundation capable of supporting effective administration, sustainable league competitions and long-term football development.