Two weeks after its creation was announced, the NFF normalisation committee has still not been officially confirmed. According to Kola Daniel, media assistant to the director general of the NSC, FIFA is carrying out integrity checks and interviews on the submitted names.
The announcement had been presented as the way out of the crisis. Two weeks later, the normalisation committee tasked with running the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has still not officially named any of its members. The reason: FIFA’s checks on the proposed profiles, reports Leadership.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed that the names of the proposed members have indeed been submitted to FIFA, which is conducting the screening and interview process before any publication. The delay is causing concern among Nigerian football stakeholders, while the committee is due to oversee the federation’s affairs.
Integrity checks under way
The mechanism is now broadly known. “Yes, the names of the committee members have been submitted to FIFA. But at the moment, FIFA is carrying out what it calls a screening process and an integrity test for all the people whose names have been submitted to sit on the normalisation committee,” explained Kola Daniel, media assistant to the NSC director general, Bukola Olopade.
He stressed the methodical nature of the procedure. “It is not a one-day affair. The process is ongoing, and interviews are also being conducted. As soon as they are completed, they will be able to say they are satisfied with the people chosen to manage the affairs of Nigerian football,” he continued. No member names, nor any publication date, have been disclosed at this stage.
A mandate already framed
The delay also stems from the hybrid nature of the operation. According to Kola Daniel, the process is taking time because it is a joint initiative of FIFA and the Nigerian sports authorities. The international federation announced the intervention after consulting CAF and the Nigerian government, with the aim of resolving the leadership crisis within the NFF.
The future committee’s framework is already set: overseeing the federation’s affairs, implementing reforms and organising elections. Its mandate is due to end no later than 31 May 2027, according to Leadership. Who will carry it out remains to be seen.
Stakeholders’ concern
The delay in the official announcement of the members is causing concern among Nigerian football stakeholders, the local outlet reports. Until the list is approved, the committee’s composition remains unknown to the public.
The members’ names will only be published after FIFA’s approval. No publication date has been communicated at this stage.