Ogunfuwa Commends Tinubu, NSC Leadership, Calls for Statutory Reforms to Transform Nigeria’s Sports

By: Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR)

The National President of Football Fans Club of Nigeria, Ambassador
Kemi Ogunfuwa has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Honourable Bukola Olopade, for their efforts towards repositioning Nigerian sports, while calling for comprehensive reforms that will transform the nation’s sports statutes and institutions rather than merely changing personalities.

Ogunfuwa, a strong advocate for the development and proper organisation of sports supporters in Nigeria, said the present administration has an opportunity to leave behind a lasting legacy by undertaking fundamental reforms capable of strengthening the country’s sports governance architecture.

According to her, Nigeria needs reforms that will change the structure, systems and statutory framework governing sports, rather than reforms that simply replace one set of individuals with another.

The Lagos based business tycoon stressed that the success of Nigerian sports should be measured by the strength of its institutions, the welfare of athletes, the development of grassroots sports and the ability of stakeholders to work together towards sustainable growth.

The CAF awards winning Matriarch lamented the Absence of Supporters Clubs and expressed deep concern over what she described as the unfortunate absence and declining visibility of organised Supporters Clubs at the outings of Nigeria’s national teams in recent years.

She noted that the Super Eagles, Super Falcons, Olympic teams, U-20 and U-17 national teams, among others, have traditionally enjoyed tremendous support from organized Nigerian fans, whose presence at stadiums created an atmosphere of patriotism, motivation and emotional connection between the teams and the Nigerian public.

Ogunfuwa, argued that the gradual disappearance of organised supporters from the stands has created a vacuum that should urgently be addressed by the country’s sports authorities.
In her words
“Supporters are not merely spectators. They are an integral part of football and sports development.

“Their songs, colours, flags and collective energy have always given our national teams a sense of belonging and national identity,” she said.

Mama Nigeria therefore urged the NSC to revisit the place of Supporters Clubs within Nigeria’s sports governance structure and national-team programmes.

She called for return to Statutory recognition and specifically reminded the leadership of the National Sports Commission of the need to revisit the statutory recognition and representation of Supporters Clubs within the electoral congress structure, stressing that stakeholders must ensure that all recognised football constituencies are properly represented in accordance with applicable FIFA principles and the Nigerian football statutes.

She further argued that fans should not only be remembered when national teams require emotional backing but should also have an institutional voice within the football ecosystem just as she called for the
restoration of structured participation of recognised Supporters Clubs at tournaments involving Nigeria’s various national teams.

She maintained that supporters should be properly integrated into programmes involving the Super Eagles, Super Falcons, Olympic teams and the various age-grade national teams going forward without glitch.

The Ambassador also called attention to the need for greater transparency and accountability concerning funding and support for organised fan groups, including funds or support provided through FIFA-related programmes for fan engagement and supporters’ activities.

She urged relevant authorities to establish a clear framework for accessing, administering and accounting for such funds, stressing that resources meant for supporters’ development should be transparently deployed for their intended purpose.

According to her, properly funded and organised Supporters Clubs can contribute significantly to the promotion of Nigerian football, both domestically and internationally.

Ogunfuwa, however, specifically expressed appreciation to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Honourable Bukola Olopade, for their leadership and their willingness to engage stakeholders in the ongoing conversation about the future of Nigerian sports.
She said their emergence at a critical period provides an opportunity to build bridges among the various stakeholders and address longstanding structural challenges.

She encouraged the NSC leadership to go beyond administrative adjustments and pursue reforms that will produce lasting institutional changes.

“The opportunity before the present leadership of the National Sports Commission is enormous. We must not simply change faces; we must change the statutes, systems and structures that have held our sports development back.
“I sincerely commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to sports development and also appreciate Mallam Shehu Dikko and Honourable Bukola Olopade for their leadership and support when the need arises . This is the time for all stakeholders to come together and build a sports system that will outlive individuals and administrations.”

Ogunfuwa concluded by calling for an inclusive, transparent and stakeholder-driven sports reform process, insisting that athletes, federations, supporters, coaches, administrators, former players and other critical stakeholders must have a place at the table.
She maintained that Nigeria’s sports renaissance can only become sustainable when reforms are designed to strengthen institutions, protect stakeholders and create an ecosystem capable of producing excellence across generations.