FIFA President Gianni Infantino calls for stronger structures in Nigerian football
FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with a Nigerian delegation, led by National Sports Commission Chairman Shehu Dikko, in Zurich to discuss the future of Nigerian football. Infantino emphasized the need for stronger structures and development pathways to create more opportunities for youth in the sport. The meeting addressed institutional, governance, and developmental topics, as well as ongoing collaborations, with FIFA exploring ways to support football's growth in Nigeria. This discussion comes as Nigerian football undergoes a reform process following mass resignations from the Nigeria Football Federation NFF executive committee and a call for action from President Bola Tinubu due to "repeated failures." The NFF stated that FIFA accepted the resignations of its principal officers and pledged to work with the Nigerian government, NFF administration, and the Confederation of African Football on a new roadmap for comprehensive reforms. The Nigerian delegation included NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, former NFF President Amaju Pinnick, Acting NFF General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme, and NFF Director of Legal Services Okey Obi. Further engagements are planned to finalize a roadmap for reforms aimed at establishing an inclusive new NFF administration and a stable environment for the game's development. Dikko assured stakeholders that the reform process would adhere to relevant rules and regulations. The reform efforts are driven by concerns over national team performances, f
