NFF: Yes Normalisation Committee could help reset Nigerian Football

In human society, when an institution falls into serious difficulty, mechanisms are often put in place to restore normal functioning. Nigerian football may now need such an intervention.

That is why many of us support the idea of a Normalisation Committee following the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership, just days before the federation’s scheduled electoral congress.

Our position is rooted in the state of Nigerian football and the growing concern that important aspects of the game have not been functioning as they should, despite football’s enormous popularity across the country.

The issue is not simply about replacing individuals at the top. It is about examining the system, addressing the weaknesses that have affected football administration and creating structures that can restore confidence and stability.

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A properly constituted Normalisation Committee, with a clear and limited mandate, could provide that opportunity.

Its role should not be to take over Nigerian football indefinitely, but to stabilise the federation, review areas requiring reform and create the conditions for a credible return to normal administration.

The ultimate objective should be a stronger, more transparent and properly functioning football administration that serves Nigerian football beyond the immediate crisis.

The push by some State Football Association chairmen for a Caretaker Committee to run the NFF does not, in our view, address the deeper problems confronting Nigerian football.

We are encouraged by indications that FIFA may be receptive to a Normalisation Committee as a way of addressing the leadership crisis created by the NFF resignations.

We also welcome the reported position of four of the five NFF members consulted on the issue, who favoured a Normalisation Committee rather than the caretaker arrangement proposed by some FA chairmen.

The reason is straightforward. The problems confronting Nigerian football go beyond the leadership of the federation.

If the objective is to restore the game and rebuild confidence in its administration, the process should examine the entire football structure, from the grassroots to the State Football Associations and ultimately the NFF.

What is needed is not simply a change of leadership at the centre. There should be a broader review of how football is administered at every level.

At the state level, there are longstanding concerns about the independence and internal democratic processes of many Football Associations.

Critics have alleged that some FA structures have become heavily controlled by individual chairmen, with appointments, elections and football development concentrated around a small number of people.

Whether every such allegation is justified or not, the concerns deserve proper examination.

A credible normalisation process should therefore look closely at the governance of State Football Associations, their constitutions, electoral procedures, financial accountability and relationship with clubs and grassroots football stakeholders.

The aim should be to strengthen institutions, not simply replace one set of office holders with another.

For sure, we have no effective and genuinely functional football structures at the local government and area council levels in many parts of the country.

In some places, what exists appears to depend largely on individuals appointed or selected by local football authorities, rather than independent structures with clearly defined responsibilities and a genuine mandate to develop the game.

This creates a system in which loyalty to those in charge can sometimes receive more attention than football development.

Critics of the current arrangement also argue that some local football structures are used primarily to mobilise support for incumbents whenever elections approach.

If that is the case, it raises a fundamental question: Where is actual grassroots football development taking place?

Football administration at the local level should be about discovering young talents, organising competitions, developing coaches and referees, supporting clubs and creating pathways for players to progress from their communities to state and national competitions.

Where administrative structures focus mainly on protecting the interests of individuals seeking to retain their positions, football development risks becoming secondary.

This is why any proposed normalisation process should not stop at the NFF headquarters or State Football Associations. It should examine the entire football administration structure, including the grassroots.

The strength of Nigerian football must begin from the bottom. If the foundation is weak, changing leadership at the top alone will not solve the deeper problems.

This explains our position on the proposed Normalisation Committee, and I am pleased that FIFA appears to have understood the plight of Nigerian football and seen wisdom in the argument for a reset.

Nobody who genuinely cares about Nigerian football can be comfortable with the situation we find ourselves in today.

There is growing frustration among supporters as teams from countries with far smaller football profiles come to Nigeria and secure draws or even victories on our own soil.

Nigeria has a long football tradition. We have produced outstanding players, won major continental titles and built a football culture that commands enormous support across the country.

Yet, the gap between that rich history and some of our recent performances and administrative challenges has become increasingly difficult to ignore.

This is why our call for a Normalisation Committee should not be misunderstood as a campaign against particular individuals.

It is a call for a structured opportunity to examine what has gone wrong, identify weaknesses in the system and begin rebuilding.

The crisis should be treated as an opportunity, not simply as another leadership contest.

A properly constituted Normalisation Committee, working within a clear and limited mandate, could help stabilise the NFF, review its structures and work with FIFA and CAF to establish a credible pathway back to normal administration.

But the process must go beyond the national federation.

Nigerian football needs attention from the grassroots, through local football structures and State Football Associations, to the NFF.

We need football structures that are genuinely focused on developing players, coaches and referees, organising meaningful competitions and creating clear pathways for young talents.

We also need stronger institutional accountability, transparent administration and electoral processes that command confidence among football stakeholders.

The objective should not simply be to produce another set of office holders. It should be to rebuild a football system in which institutions are stronger than individuals and football development takes precedence over personal interests.

Nigerian football has the talent, passion and human resources to recover. What is needed is the right structure, responsible leadership and a genuine commitment to reform.

For sure, a Normalisation Committee could help reset Nigerian football. It could provide the opportunity to address the weaknesses in our football administration, from the NFF to the State Football Associations and grassroots structures.

The objective should not be to replace one group of officials with another, but to strengthen institutions, restore accountability, improve electoral processes and create structures that put football development ahead of personal interests.

If properly constituted and given a clear, limited mandate, the committee could help stabilise the game and lay the foundation for a more transparent, credible and functional football administration.

Nigerian football needs a reset, and this crisis could provide the opportunity to achieve it.

The present crisis provides an opportunity to begin building a football administration capable of matching Nigeria’s long-standing place in African football.