By Douglas Baye-Osagie _dbayeosagie@yahoo.com President Bola Tinubu has ordered “comprehensive reforms” for Nigerian football. The directive could not have come at a better time. For years, the Nigeria Football Federation has been stuck in cycles of poor performances, crisis, litigation, and distrust. If we are serious about fixing the house, we must start with the foundation: the NFF Congress.
Good that the National Sports Commission has got the nod from FIFA to set up an Interim Management Committee after the resignation of the Gusau-led board. There is now enough time to set our bed neatly for a proper respite. This must be the first job of the Interim Management Committee after FIFA’s nod this week. The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the NFF. It elects the President. It amends the statutes.
It approves budgets. In short, whoever controls the Congress controls Nigerian football. That is why reforming its composition is not optional. It is urgent. The current Congress structure, with 37 FA Chairmen as a voting bloc, has created a culture of “delegate democracy” where loyalty is traded for development. One man, one vote, one state has produced 37 kingmakers and left the real stakeholders of the game as spectators.
As stakeholders prepare their minds ahead of the reforms, here is a concrete proposal for a new NFF Congress that is representative, equitable, and development-focused. It reduces politics and increases expertise. To ensure legitimacy, the various associations and constituencies shall hold elections to provide representatives at least 60 days to the Congress to pick its representatives. This will guarantee transparency and give all stakeholders time to participate in the process.
FA Chairmen: Reduce from 37 to 6 6 representatives, one each from the 6 geopolitical zones. Football administration should be zonal, not parochial. This preserves the voice of