Tony Ubani, a leading sports journalist and president of the Guild of Sports Editors, has urged a far-reaching restructuring of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), pointing to a sustained fall in the results produced by the country’s national teams.
Call for fundamental reform
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Speaking during a recent edition of the Sportsville programme, Ubani said football stakeholders and the wider public increasingly agree that major changes are needed to rebuild the sport’s foundations.
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He argued that the solution should extend beyond replacing the current administration. In his view, Nigeria’s football authorities need people with strong technical understanding and detailed knowledge of the system to manage the game effectively.
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Invoking the Latin expression vox populi, vox Dei, meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God”, Ubani said public dissatisfaction was supported by clear statistical evidence showing declining performances from the national sides.
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“Football is the one thing that brings Nigeria together. People may play with politics and the economy, but they should allow our sports to succeed. When the people are asking for change, wise leaders have a duty to listen,” he said.
Although he said he personally respected those currently leading the NFF, Ubani insisted that the country’s sporting priorities must come before friendships, personal loyalties or regional interests.
He described football as one of Nigeria’s most important unifying forces and called on administrators to respond to public opinion by rebuilding the governance of the sport at every level.
