Former Nigeria Football Association board member Chief Fan Ndubuoke has backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call for comprehensive football reform, but warned that replacing officials alone will not solve the deep-rooted problems within the sport.
Key takeaways
- Ndubuoke says Nigeria’s football crisis should lead to a full administrative review rather than an immediate election.
- He argues that FIFA-recognised independence must not shield football authorities from scrutiny over public money.
- His proposed audit covers the NFF, elections, finances, national teams, leagues, development programmes and player welfare.
- He wants wider representation for players, coaches, referees, women’s football and grassroots stakeholders.
- He has proposed an independent commission of specialists to oversee the rebuilding process.
Reform must go beyond changing officials
Ndubuoke, who also previously led the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, said the reform initiative would have little impact if it simply installed new leaders while leaving the system that produced the crisis untouched.
He described the preservation of the same individuals, structures and vested interests as a greater threat than the possibility of reform failing outright. In his view, the current crisis surrounding the Nigeria Football Federation offers a rare chance to scrutinise the entire administration of the game instead of quickly organising another vote.
The former Executive Chairman of the Imo Sports Commission also rejected the idea that football autonomy under FIFA rules should be treated as protection from oversight, especially when government or other public funds are involved.
“Independence must not turn into immunity,” Ndubuoke said, insisting that autonomy cannot mean escaping accountability.
He called for an examination that would reach well beyond the NFF headquarters. The review, he said, should include the federation’s Congress, its electoral arrangements, financial management, FIFA and CAF grants, sponsorship contracts, national teams, domestic competitions, grassroots programmes, coaching, academies, women’s football, refereeing and the welfare of players.
Ndubuoke further urged football authorities to dismantle what he termed “Chairman Supremacy”, arguing that durable institutions should carry greater weight than individual office holders.
He wants players, coaches, referees, women’s football officials, former internationals and grassroots representatives to play a more meaningful role in governance. He also called for a reassessment of the NFF Congress and the composition of the electoral college.
Selection, development and a proposed reform commission
The former NFA board member also sought an independent process to investigate long-running claims that financial inducements have influenced selection for Nigeria’s national teams.
“A place in the national team must never be treated as something for sale,” he said. Every gifted Nigerian youngster, he added, should see ability, discipline and performances—not wealth, personal connections or influence—as the route to international representation.
Ndubuoke questioned Nigeria’s small presence among referees operating at the highest international level and urged increased funding for grassroots football, coach education and the development of players.
He was also uneasy about placing the entire reform programme under the National Sports Commission. Instead, he proposed an independent National Football Reform and Reconstruction Commission made up of specialists in football, law, finance, corporate governance, refereeing, coaching, sports science, marketing, technology, women’s football and the private sector.
Ndubuoke maintained that holding another election without first changing the underlying framework would merely reproduce the failures of the past.
“Going to the polls is not the same as reform. Replacing personalities or moving people between offices does not amount to reform, nor does bringing back former administrators,” he said.
“Nigeria is not looking for another temporary football transition. It needs a complete rebirth of the game.”
