- The Senate is concerned about Nigeria’s football setbacks
- NFF and NSC officials faced lawmakers in Abuja
- The committee will present its findings next month
The Senate has raised concerns over Nigeria’s recent poor performances in international football, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ setback in their bid to reach the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the Senate Committee on Sports held an emergency meeting on Wednesday with the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, and the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, in Abuja.
The meeting, chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi, followed concerns raised by Senate President Godswill Akpabio about the state of sports, particularly football, in the country.
Ningi said the Senate leadership wanted the committee to examine the reasons behind Nigeria’s recent disappointing results and recommend measures to improve the country’s sporting fortunes.
He said the committee would present its findings to the Senate when the National Assembly resumes next month.
A major issue discussed at the meeting was the reported disagreement between the NSC and the NFF. Ningi urged both organisations to resolve their differences and work together to rebuild confidence in Nigerian football.
The senator also questioned why the national teams had continued to struggle despite increased government investment in sports.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu had provided financial support to national team players and officials and had also increased funding for the sports sector.
Ningi described Nigeria’s failure to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup as disappointing and said the Super Falcons’ inability to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup had further heightened concerns.
He, however, said any decision on restructuring or changing the NFF must comply with Nigerian law and FIFA regulations.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged that the Federal Government has given the NFF leadership 24 hours to resign following the recent setbacks. The claim has been reported in the media but has not been independently confirmed through an official statement from the Federal Government or the NFF.
The pressure on the NFF follows the Super Falcons’ failure to secure a 2027 Women’s World Cup ticket after losing 2-1 to South Africa in the qualifying play-off. The result means Nigeria will miss the women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition began in 1991.
The Falcons had earlier been eliminated from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after a quarter-final defeat to Cameroon.
The Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the African play-off final following a 1-1 draw.
Nigeria’s recent struggles have extended beyond the senior national teams, with concerns also raised over the performances of some of the country’s youth sides.
Amid the growing criticism, the NFF has established a fact-finding committee to examine the recent setbacks involving Nigeria’s national teams.
The Senate committee is expected to use its findings to make recommendations aimed at addressing the challenges affecting Nigerian football and improving the country’s performance in future international competitions.
