Senate Summons NFF, NSC over Nigeria’s Football Crisis
*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
The Senate Committee on Sports has summoned the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and National Sports Commission (NSC) for an emergency meeting. This follows Nigeria's national football teams' decline, particularly their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. The meeting, chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi, was prompted by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who demanded an explanation for the declining sports performance.
Ningi stated that the meeting aimed to bridge the gap between NSC and NFF, as they are currently not working together. He added that the Senate is concerned about the teams' poor performance despite significant financial incentives and budget increases from the Tinubu administration. The senator expressed disappointment over Nigeria's absence from the 2026 World Cup and the Super Falcons' failure to qualify for the 2027 tournament.
While some stakeholders have called for NFF's dissolution, Ningi emphasized the need to adhere to Nigerian law and FIFA statutes when addressing the situation.
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