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By Abdullahi Inuwa
ABUJA — The leadership shake-up rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has attracted the attention of football’s global and continental authorities, with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) set to dispatch a joint assessment mission to Nigeria.
FIFA said the delegation will visit Abuja to gain a clearer understanding of the circumstances surrounding the recent changes within the NFF leadership and determine whether the developments comply with football’s governing principles.
The move comes amid growing concerns over the autonomy of the NFF and the possibility of external or governmental influence in the administration of Nigerian football.
However, FIFA has cautioned against drawing premature conclusions, stressing that its assessment is still at an early stage.
The world football governing body said it had not reached any conclusion on the issues being examined and that no decision had been taken on possible actions that could follow the mission.
The joint FIFA-CAF visit is therefore expected to provide an opportunity for the two football authorities to hear directly from relevant stakeholders and establish the facts surrounding the NFF leadership changes.
FIFA has consistently maintained that the affairs of national football associations should be conducted independently, without undue interference from governments or other external bodies.
Nigeria’s football authorities now face renewed scrutiny as FIFA and CAF prepare to examine the situation firsthand in Abuja.
The outcome of the assessment could determine whether the current NFF leadership transition remains an internal administrative matter or triggers further action from the international football community.
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