*FIFA to set up Normalisation Committee this week
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigeria’s move to reform the country’s football administration has received the seal of FIFA after the National Sports Commission (NSC) leadership as well as the interim officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) met with Gianni Infantino, president of the world body in Zurich, Switzerland on Tuesday.
In a post on Instagram, Infantino said he was happy to receive the Nigerian delegation and was ready to align with the country’s vision for football.
“I was pleased to sit down with a delegation from Nigeria, led by National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Shehu Dikko, at the Home of FIFA in Zürich to hold important discussions and align on our vision for football in the country.
“We had a detailed talk on institutional, governance and developmental topics, as well as our ongoing collaborations. While stressing the need to create stronger structures and pathways to provide even more opportunities for the youth, we explored areas where FIFA can further support the growth of our beautiful game in this football-passionate country,” observed the FIFA President.
While wishing Nigeria luck at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Infantino thanked the delegation for their time, ideas and positive intent to work together in taking Nigerian football forward.
NFF also confirmed in a statement yesterday that FIFA has accepted the resignations of principal officers of the Nigeria Football Federation, and pledged to continue the engagement with the Government of Nigeria, the NFF administration and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on a new roadmap for comprehensive reforms of Nigeria football.
“At a meeting inside FIFA House in Zurich, Switzerland attended by FIFA, CAF, CAF advisors, NSC and NFF Administration, it was agreed to proceed with engagements and interactions to fine-tune a roadmap that will ensure the delivery of the expected reforms both in the short, medium and long term, and to ensure that an inclusive new NFF emerges going forward and with the enabling environment, peaceful and stable to be in position to deliver success both on and off the pitch for the benefit and growth of Nigeria Football,’ the NFF statement emphasised.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko led the Nigeria delegation, which also included the DG of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade; former NFF President and ex-FIFA Council Member Amaju Pinnick OFR (who attended the meeting in his official capacity as Special Advisor to the CAF President and Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Men’s National Teams’ Competitions Committee; NFF Ag. General Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme and; NFF’s Director of Legal Services, Okey Obi Esq. CAF 2nd Vice President Kurt-Okraku and FIFA’s Director of Member Associations (Africa), Gelson Fernandes.
Dikko was quoted to have said that “Mutual engagement among the National Sports Commission, the NFF administration and the Confederation of African Football is ongoing with FIFA on the comprehensive reforms of Nigeria football, including agreeing a roadmap going forward in accordance with the relevant rules, regulations and Statutes, and indeed there is no doubt Nigeria Football will emerge much better and properly-structured after the conclusion of this process.”