The newly appointed Minister for Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, met with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation on Wednesday to discuss the way forward for football in Nigeria.
The meeting was part of Senator Enoh’s ongoing efforts to engage with various sports federations across Nigeria, aiming to rejuvenate and reshape the landscape of sports in the country.
He shared his thoughts on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “I held a strategic meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Football Federation in my office, as part of my series of engagements with all sports federations in the nation.
“The engagements with the leadership of all sports federations are part of my efforts to appraise the state of sports in the country, to drive a common vision of development, resuscitate, rejuvenate and reinvigorate areas that are not in tandem with its mission.
Senator Enoh’s approach underlines the significance of restructuring the Nigerian sports sector and aligning its vision for development. During the meeting, he emphasized that the Ministry’s role is not to run football or any other sports on behalf of the federations but to serve as an overseeing body, ensuring the best interests of the nation are upheld within the operations and activities of these federations.
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“The Ministry will not run football or any other sports on behalf of the federations, but instead, it has a responsibility to play oversight functions and ensure the best interest of the nation is represented in the operations and activities of federations.”
I held a strategic meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Football Federation in my office, as part of my series of engagements with all sports federations in the nation.
— Senator John Owan Enoh (@OwanEnoh) October 11, 2023
The engagements with the leadership of all sports federations are part of my efforts to appraise the… pic.twitter.com/xB5fz49Mna
Football, being a sport that garners immense attention, interest, and enthusiasm nationwide, demands a strategic approach towards its growth and prosperity.
The Minister elaborated, “We must be open to dissecting some of the burning issues in our football. This is what this meeting is about. Where are we as a footballing nation? What are our prospects? What are the plans? This sector is one where everyone is interested and wants to know what is going on.”
The focal points of the discussion included the implementation of a 10-year football master plan, the composition of the NFF’s executive board, and the image of the national football league, among other vital concerns.
Senator John Enoh expressed the need to examine global best practices employed by thriving nations to ensure Nigeria’s football scene reaches its full potential.
“We should address topical and trending issues such as the 10-year football master plan implementation, membership of the executive board of the NFF, and the image of our league, amongst other issues. We must look at global best practices obtainable in thriving nations.
“All hands must be on deck for development to be fostered. I also sue for all facets of NFF’s operations to thrive, including but not limited to coaches and players’ education, referees’ development, league management, national teams’ success, governance statutes, etc.”
