Nigerian football needs structural reform, not cosmetic changes – Obayiuwana

Nigerian football needs structural reform, not cosmetic changes – Obayiuwana

Seasoned journalist and football governance analyst Osasu Obayiuwana has renewed his call for fundamental reforms in Nigerian football, insisting that the country has enough competent professionals to transform the game if its institutions are properly restructured.

Obayiuwana, who served on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Governance Reform Committee between 2018 and 2020, said his experience on the committee convinced him that deep-rooted administrative weaknesses were hindering the development of Nigerian football.

Reflecting on his experience, Obayiuwana said the committee produced detailed recommendations on how to improve the governance of the NFF, but alleged that the proposals were ultimately ignored by the federation's leadership at the time.

He recalled an incident that, in his view, exposed the poor state of the federation's administrative structure.

According to him, he repeatedly requested the NFF's organisational chart during committee sessions to enable him analyse the federation's flow of authority and chain of command.

Obayiuwana claimed that the document was not provided for three months despite repeated requests, and that when it eventually arrived, it was merely a "pathetic scrap of paper" that offered little useful information.

For the journalist, the experience was a clear indication of the shortcomings within the NFF's governance system.

His latest intervention comes amid renewed scrutiny of the administration of Nigerian football following the country's disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Obayiuwana also questioned the timing of complaints recently made by former Super Falcons assistant coach Justin Madugu and NFF Technical Director Austin Eguavoen about challenges they allegedly faced while working within the federation.

He acknowledged the frustrations expressed by both men but questioned why some of the concerns were only made public after the Super Falcons' exit from the competition.

Obayiuwana specifically raised questions over reports that Madugu had been owed wages dating back to his appointment as an assistant coach in 2022.

He also challenged Eguavoen, a former Super Eagles captain and coach, to explain why he had not publicly raised concerns earlier about the lack of material support he allegedly received in his role as Technical Director.

Drawing comparisons with developments in European football, Obayiuwana pointed to instances where prominent football officials resigned when they believed their authority or professional responsibilities were being undermined.

He argued that professionals entrusted with important positions must be prepared to defend the integrity of their offices rather than remain silent until crises emerge.

The journalist also recalled a conversation with the NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau during the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire.

Obayiuwana said Gusau questioned why he regularly criticised the administration of Nigerian football publicly instead of offering his counsel privately.

He explained that, as a journalist and governance analyst, his responsibility was to bring issues affecting football administration to public attention, rather than act as a private adviser or "courtier."

While acknowledging that Nigeria possesses people with the ability to manage football at the highest level, Obayiuwana maintained that personnel alone would not solve the country's problems.

He argued that the institutions themselves must be restructured to promote merit, competence, accountability and integrity.

"Nigeria has brilliant, world-class people that can run football properly," Obayiuwana stated, stressing that without institutional reforms, Nigerian football would continue to struggle under a system that rewards mediocrity.

His central message is that Nigeria's football crisis is not simply about coaches, players or individual administrators, but about the structure and culture of the institutions responsible for running the sport.

For Obayiuwana, meaningful progress will only come when governance reforms are implemented and the country's football administration is built around competence, transparency and accountability.

Until then, he fears, Nigerian football will continue to struggle to fulfil its enormous potential.