Nigeria’s Football At Crossroads, Group Demands Government Intervention

The Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reforms Initiative has warned that Nigerian football is facing a critical period, accusing the authorities of failing to address what it described as deep-rooted administrative problems in the game.

The group, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Prince Harrison Jalla, said the focus on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) elections scheduled for September 27, 2026, was distracting attention from what it called the urgent need for comprehensive reforms.

Jalla said the election was already the subject of litigation before the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, citing Suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/1120/2026 and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1755/2026, respectively.

He said the cases included demands for reforms and the enforcement of pending court judgments, arguing that the situation required urgent intervention by relevant government authorities.

According to Jalla, the National Sports Commission (NSC), as the supervisory body of the NFF, as well as the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Sports, should not remain on the sidelines while the crisis in Nigerian football persists.

“Both the National Sports Commission (NSC), which is the supervisory body of the Nigeria Football Federation, and the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Sports and the Senate Committee on Sports, which have constitutional oversight functions over the activities of the Nigeria Football Federation, are watching from the sidelines as Nigerian football is being led to the slaughterhouse,” he said.

Jalla also referred to what he described as two pending presidential directives on comprehensive reforms in Nigerian football, questioning why the relevant authorities had yet to act.

He criticised the influence of State Football Association chairmen in the administration of Nigerian football, alleging that the group had dominated the system since 2008 without delivering the required progress.

“The group that hijacked Nigerian football since 2008 — the State Football Association chairmen — has shown clearly over the years that they lack the capacity to move Nigerian football forward, simply because they cannot give what they do not have,” Jalla said.

He also questioned the credibility of the forthcoming NFF election, asking who would participate if the process was allegedly predetermined.

The reform advocate urged the Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to treat football as an important economic sector capable of contributing significantly to Nigeria’s development if properly managed.

He called for urgent intervention by the Federal Government and relevant agencies to address what he described as administrative crisis and entrenched corruption in Nigerian football.

Jalla warned that continued inaction could create conditions for a breakdown of law and order if aggrieved stakeholders resorted to self-help.

“It cannot be business as usual this time around,” he said.