Opinion: Nigeria football reform must be competence-driven

Opinion: Nigeria football reform must be competence-driven

By Prince Harrison Jalla

Nigeria football reforms must be competence-driven. The probe into, and recovery of, NFF stolen funds should date back to late 2014–2026.

It is a new dawn for Nigeria football. We have all fought a good fight and kept the faith, but we have not finished the course. The struggle continues until the right thing is done from the word go.

With the composition of the Normalisation Committee, all federating units of the NFF, the private sector, and other relevant groups must be represented fairly and equally. Nobody can hide under the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to skew things in their own favour or play God in this new dispensation. That era is gone forever.

We do not want to go back to Egypt. The National Sports Commission, under Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, must not falter or be seen to favour any individual or group over another. This reform must be total, competence-driven, and nothing more.

Very many thanks to the National Sports Commission and to all those who later joined our team in the struggle we started so many years ago. Nigeria football wins at last.

The next phase of our advocacy, after Nigeria football has been put on a sound footing, would be centred on the inauguration of the National Sports Commission Board, whose composition has been clearly spelt out in the National Sports Commission Establishment Act 2023. The NSC cannot continue to remain a two-man board while other members are shut out.

Lastly, anti-graft agencies should extend their probe of the NFF to late 2014–2026 and recover the millions of United States dollars in stolen FIFA grants and billions of naira in sponsorship funds within the period under review.

The current ₦12 billion or ₦17 billion probe is merely scratching the surface. People must go to jail for corruption if we are to have a brand-new NFF.

. Jalla is Chairman Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Initiative