*Says Tinubu’s incentives, increased sports budget have failed to halt poor results *Both agencies to brief lawmakers on measures to restore national teams’ fortunes
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Senate Committee on Sports has summoned the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) for an emergency meeting over the worsening fortunes of Nigeria’s national football teams.
The committee expressed concern over the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ inability to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The emergency meeting with the Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, and President of the NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, was presided over by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central).
In a statement late yesterday evening Ningi said the session was convened at the prompting of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who demanded an explanation for the declining fortunes of Nigerian sports, particularly football.
Ningi said the meeting was preparatory to a comprehensive briefing he would give the Senate when it resumes next month on the state of sports and football in the country and measures being taken to reverse the trend.
He said, “I have the authority of the Senate President on this very important meeting, who recently asked me, ‘Senator Ningi, what is happening in sports, what is happening in football’?
“So this meeting was a preamble to the explanation I will offer the Senate when it reconvenes next month on the state of sports and, in particular, football in Nigeria today and steps being taken to reposition it for better results,” he said.
The senator said the meeting also sought to bridge the gap between the NSC and NFF, stressing that both institutions must work together if Nigeria is to regain its position on the global football stage.
He said, “I called them to close ranks, that is, the Nigerian Football Federation and the National Sports Commission, because as it is today, they are wide apart,” Ningi said.
“They are heading for a meeting probably in the Villa. So, for now, it’s work in progress,” he added.
Ningi said the Senate was particularly concerned that the poor performances of the national teams had persisted despite what he described as unprecedented motivational support from President Bola Tinubu for athletes, players and sports officials.
He recalled that the federal government had, for years, failed to provide comparable financial incentives to sportsmen and women, but noted that the Tinubu administration had introduced substantial rewards in an effort to motivate the national teams.
“Recall, in a very long time, the government never compensated sportsmen and women, but the president, in his magnanimity, dished out a hundred thousand dollars each to players and officials.
“And what more will you need from a nation that is battling with the lives of over 220 million Nigerians?”
The lawmaker also noted that the federal government had significantly increased funding for the sports sector, making it difficult to attribute the teams’ poor performances solely to inadequate financial motivation.
“I thought the president has done all that he could in motivating them. And also, as the chairman of the Senate committee, I’ve also seen that the president has almost quadrupled the budget of the sports ministry,” Ningi said.
He expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s failure to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the subsequent setback suffered by the Super Falcons in their bid to qualify for the 2027 women’s tournament.
“We were all pained when we couldn’t be in the World Cup in the United States and further pained by the failure of Super Falcons to make it to Brazil next year,” he lamented.
The Senate committee chairman said the latest development had heightened calls by some football stakeholders and enthusiasts for sweeping reforms, including demands for the dissolution of the NFF.
However, he cautioned that whatever measures the Senate and other stakeholders might adopt must comply with Nigerian law and the statutes governing international football.
“My concern is that whatever action we must do, we must do it within the limits of the law. We must look at our laws, and we must also look at the FIFA statutes,” Ningi said.
He assured Nigerians that the Senate would examine the circumstances surrounding the poor performances of Nigeria’s football teams and consider lawful measures capable of restoring discipline, coordination and competitiveness to the sector.
The emergency engagement with the NFF and NSC is expected to form part of the Senate’s broader assessment of the administration and funding of sports, with particular attention to the management of Nigeria’s national football teams and the country’s declining fortunes in international competitions.