By: Tunji Okunlola
The National Sports Commission (NSC) is set to put forward names for an eight-member Normalisation Committee to FIFA, but the world football governing body will carry out extensive background checks on the nominees before determining who will lead the committee, The Guardian has learnt.
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko recently led a delegation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials to Zurich, where they held talks with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other officials, with discussions centring on the planned Normalisation Committee that will oversee the running of Nigerian football.
Separately, the NSC and chairmen of the various state football associations convened a closed-door meeting in Abuja yesterday to deliberate on the committee.
According to BSN Sports, FIFA remains firmly committed to reforming Nigerian football and is working in close collaboration with the NSC to develop what it considers the most effective approach to the country’s football administration.
A stakeholder familiar with the discussions explained the process: “The truth is, the National Sports Commission will recommend names of the eight-man Normalisation Committee to FIFA, but FIFA will do a thorough background check on all the recommended names for the chairmanship and board membership before, in its wisdom, deciding on the best candidate to lead the committee.”
The source added that, notably, the committee’s chairman would be appointed and paid by FIFA rather than by the Nigerian government. “It may shock you to know that the chairman of the Normalisation Committee will not be appointed and paid by Nigeria, but by FIFA,” the stakeholder said.
The proposed reforms are also expected to tackle the structure of the NFF Congress, particularly the outsized influence currently held by state football associations, which collectively control 37 votes.
“We cannot have a large chunk of the electoral college coming from one particular bloc – the state football associations with 37 votes. It is very unfair to a system that has numerous blocks of stakeholders. There must be a balance,” the stakeholder argued.
Even so, the source stressed that the NFF Congress would retain its position as the supreme decision-making body in Nigerian football, meaning any substantial changes to the federation’s statutes or electoral structure would still require Congress approval. “The Congress remains the highest decision-making body of Nigerian football. Whatever reforms are coming on board, or whatever deformities we want to remove, the Congress must approve them,” the stakeholder said, adding that a significant number of Congress members have so far shown support for the direction being pursued by the NSC.
The stakeholder said the Normalisation Committee, once constituted, would be tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s football ecosystem, aimed at addressing longstanding administrative failures and building a more transparent, professional system.
“The system is being reformed. It will be a total overhaul of the football ecosystem. We are taking a critical look at how things were done and what should be done differently,” the source said. “This means it will no longer be business as usual. We must put round pegs in round holes. People appointed into positions must be properly qualified. Those who are due for retirement must retire honourably, while those whose contracts have expired should either have them renewed based on merit or be allowed to leave. The era of fake results, fake promotions, padding and hand-picking must stop. A lot of things simply have to change.”
The stakeholder further disclosed that reform efforts would also target the process leading up to the NFF Elective Congress, with proposals to widen representation beyond the federation’s traditional stakeholder base.
“The committee is reforming the process leading to the NFF Elective Congress. We are expanding the Congress and inviting all critical stakeholders to bring their expertise to the table,” the source said. “Over the years, the Congress was hijacked by a few individuals, but now, following consultations with FIFA, we have agreed to open the doors.”
It was also learnt that some stakeholders are pushing for FA chairmen to be grouped into regional zones, as a way of balancing the voting system rather than concentrating 37 votes within a single bloc.