Reform Our Football Group plans nationwide protest over NFF leadership

Reform Our Football Group plans nationwide protest over NFF leadership

A coalition of football supporters under the banner Reform Our Football has announced plans for a nationwide protest this week, beginning in Abuja, to demand sweeping changes at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The group, citing what it described as “maladministration, incompetence and corrupt leadership,” said Nigerian football has “gradually collapsed” while 250 million citizens watch in silence.

“We are at the tipping point. We are at the end of our tethers and we won’t be silent anymore,” the group declared in a statement signed by Leo Olagbaye released on Sunday under the hashtag #TimeIsNow.

The planned protest follows back-to-back failures by the Super Eagles to qualify for the World Cup, a situation the group called “unacceptable.”

Reform Our Football also accused the NFF of “toying with the idea of setting up the Super Falcons for an abysmal performance at WAFCON 2026” by allegedly neglecting preparations for the tournament, which carries World Cup qualification at stake.

“Treating the Super Falcons like second class citizens and refusing to prepare them for a tournament with the World Cup ticket at stake is the last straw for us,” the statement read.

The group further alleged that the Super Falcons, reigning WAFCON 2024 champions, are still owed outstanding bonuses and allowances from that tournament. It added that women’s international windows are being “consistently wasted.”

"Additionally, the age grade teams (under 17 & 20 both male and female teams), officials inclusive are being owed backlog of allowances, while the NFF leadership feast and wine," the group stated.

The coalition lamented the decline of the Golden Eaglets, noting that Nigeria’s U-17 side remains the most successful in history with a record five FIFA World Cup trophies. However, it said that since the inception of the current administration under Dr.Mohammed Sanusi as the General Secretary of the NFF, the team has failed to qualify out of West African level regional level (WAFU B), “not to talk of World Cup because of the poor treatment and planning.”

The protesters took aim at the NFF’s electoral structure, claiming the current statutes, electoral code and standing orders are “set up to throw up the highest bidder who is most of the time the least qualified.”

“53 people cannot decide the fate of 250m Nigerians. We say never,” the group stated, arguing that taxpayers fund the federation and must hold it accountable.

The Abuja demonstration is scheduled to kick off this week, with the group indicating that similar actions will follow nationwide.