By: Tunji Okunlola
National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Shehu Dikko, travelled from Abuja to Zurich yesterday alongside two Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials for talks with senior FIFA officials, with the meeting scheduled to take place today.
Joining Dikko on the trip are the NFF’s Acting Secretary General, Emmanuel Ikpeme, and Okey Obi from the federation’s legal unit.
The Guardian understands the purpose of the visit is to update FIFA on recent developments within Nigerian football.
A source familiar with the matter said the trio’s mission is to formally inform FIFA of the resignations of former NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, former Secretary General Mohammed Sanusi, and the entire NFF board, with the FIFA meeting confirmed for Tuesday.
Separately, Francis Monidafe, a former Green Eagles player now based in the United States and president of the Nigerian Ex-International Footballers Association (NE-IFA) has said Nigeria’s diaspora-based former internationals are ready to play an active role in shaping the conversation around rebuilding and developing football in the country.
Monidafe argued that the insight and experience of former internationals abroad have too often been sidelined in key discussions about Nigerian football, and said that needs to change.
His remarks come at a pivotal time for the sport in Nigeria, following news of a three-year, $7.5 million title sponsorship deal between the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and EUROMATCH, alongside Gusau’s resignation as NFF president.
Monidafe described both developments as encouraging signs and a chance for Nigerian football to rethink how it approaches leadership and governance. He praised the commercial deal secured under outgoing NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye, calling it a major win.
Speaking through fellow former international Paul Okoku over the weekend, Monidafe said the $7.5 million sponsorship was exactly the kind of boost the Nigerian league needs to compete at both continental and global levels.
The deal, unveiled in Abuja on August 26, is structured at $2.5 million per season across three years.
Monidafe said such financial gains for the domestic league should be welcomed, since a financially stronger competition is key to the broader growth of the sport in Nigeria. He also expressed hope that commercial success would eventually translate into better working conditions and welfare for the players driving the league’s performances.
While welcoming Gusau’s exit from the NFF presidency, Monidafe urged Nigerians to use the opportunity to scrutinise how football leaders are selected and whether the current system gives qualified people from various parts of the game a fair shot at leadership.
He called the chairman’s resignation the best news to come out of the federation in a long time, thanking Gusau for his service and describing the decision to step down as the right one.
He stressed, however, that attention shouldn’t be limited to who takes over next, but should also focus on ensuring the process for choosing future leaders is fair, transparent and credible.