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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

Tinubu Orders Sweeping Reforms for Nigerian Football After Repeated Qualification Failures

From ThisDay · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football to address its repeated failures to qualify for major tournaments.
  • He stated that structural weaknesses, not a lack of talent or passion, are hindering the sport's progress.
  • The reform process will be consultative, involving stakeholders and international bodies like FIFA and CAF, to strengthen governance and performance.

President Bola Tinubu has mandated a sweeping reform of Nigerian football, aiming to rectify the sport's chronic inability to qualify for major regional, continental, and world tournaments. The directive comes as a response to what the president described as "structural deficits within the system" that have plagued the nation's most popular sport.

The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football.

— President Bola TinubuDirecting the comprehensive reform of Nigerian football.

Tinubu emphasized that while other sports have seen progress under the re-established National Sports Commission, football has continued to falter. He stressed the need for Nigerian football to align its institutions and performance with the country's "exceptional talent, passion, and resources." The president believes that a stronger foundation is essential for sustained success.

To spearhead this initiative, Tinubu has tasked the chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) with collaborating with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) secretariat and other key stakeholders. This reform process is intended to be broad and consultative, ensuring engagement with international football bodies such as FIFA and CAF. The goal is to strengthen governance, improve administration, enhance development pathways, bolster domestic competitions, and increase accountability across all levels of Nigerian football.

Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system.

— President Bola TinubuExplaining the reasons behind football's struggles.

The president called for unity and support from football stakeholders and the Nigerian public to ensure the success of this transition. He expressed a desire to build a football system that is not only more successful but also more accountable and robust, capable of reflecting the nation's passion for the sport.

Nigerian football must begin to match the country’s exceptional talent, passion, and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.

— President Bola TinubuStating the desired outcome of the reforms.
About this summary

Originally published by ThisDay in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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