Tinubu Orders Major Overhaul of Nigerian Football, Demands Stronger Governance

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a major overhaul of Nigeria’s football administration, saying the country can no longer continue with a system that has repeatedly failed to live up to the sport’s enormous potential.

The directive follows a series of disappointing performances and qualification setbacks involving Nigeria’s national teams, with the President calling for sweeping changes to strengthen the administration and long-term development of football.

Tinubu said the challenges facing Nigerian football extend beyond poor performances on the pitch, identifying weaknesses in governance, administration, player development, domestic competitions and accountability as major concerns.

According to the President, football continues to enjoy enormous public support, government investment and commercial interest in Nigeria, yet the country has struggled to consistently translate its wealth of footballing talent into the expected results.

He contrasted the challenges in football with the progress being recorded in other sporting disciplines following the Federal Government’s restructuring of the sports sector through the re-establishment of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

As part of the reform process, Tinubu directed the NSC Chairman to work with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Secretariat and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the continued running of essential football activities while consultations begin on far-reaching reforms.

The consultations are expected to involve stakeholders across the football ecosystem, while FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will also be appropriately engaged in the process.

The President stressed that any reforms must remain consistent with Nigeria’s international football obligations, highlighting the need to balance domestic restructuring with the rules and requirements of FIFA and CAF.

The move represents one of the strongest calls for a fundamental rethink of Nigerian football in recent years, with the focus shifting from reacting to individual failures towards building institutions capable of delivering sustained success.

Tinubu urged football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the reform process and work towards creating a football system that is more transparent, accountable and properly structured, while capable of translating Nigeria’s abundant talent and resources into success on the global stage.