BY AHMED AKANBI
The Senate on Wednesday grilled the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and the National Sports Commission, NSC, over the dismal performances of Nigeria’s soccer teams, including the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ non-qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Its Committee on Sports held an emergency meeting with the Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, and President of the NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, presided over by Senator Abdul Ningi, (Bauchi Central) in his capacity as the chairman.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Senator Ningi said it was convened on the directive of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
“I have the authority of the Senate President on this very important meeting who recently asked me that ‘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.
According to Ningi, the meeting emphasized the need for the NFF and NSC to “close ranks” for better performances by Nigerian teams at the world stage, with commitments already being secured.
“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. They are heading for a meeting probably in the Villa. So, for now, it’s work in progress,” he said.
Ningi said the meeting was also to unravel reasons behind the poor performances despite huge motivational packages from President Bola Tinubu.
“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?” he asked.
“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.
“Then what other motivation does a player or officials need? 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.
He however said that despite calls for the disbandment of NFF by some football enthusiasts, the Senate will ensure any action taken is within the law.
“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,” he said.