Tinubu orders comprehensive football reform

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President Bola Tinubu has directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football to overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments.

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Tinubu directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the Nigeria Football Federation Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration while facilitating a broad, consultative reform process.

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Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed Thursday titled ‘President Tinubu Directs Comprehensive Football Reform.’

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He cited deep structural deficits despite the sport’s enormous public support and national attention.

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

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Tinubu compared football’s struggles with the progress recorded across other sports since the reset of the sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, describing the sport’s continued underperformance as a product of internal weaknesses rather than a lack of resources or talent.

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According to him, “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.”

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

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He framed the reform as an urgent correction rather than a routine administrative exercise.

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The reform process, according to Tinubu, will include appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF, while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations within the international football governance framework.

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The President called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.

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The directive comes against the backdrop of a difficult period for Nigerian football, with the Super Eagles having struggled through recent World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualification, alongside long-running governance disputes within the NFF.

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