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CSOs Throw Weight Behind Pinnick’s CAF Presidency Ambition

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2020

…Commence fundraise to support the campaign

Joel Ajayi

A coalition of 87 civil society organizations known as Civil Society Network for Good Governance working in diverse thematic areas to advocate for delivering of public goods and services to the Nigerian populace have thrown their weight behind the president of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Mr. Amaju Pinnick’s ambition to run for Confederation of African Football, CAF, presidency come March 2021.

To this end, the coalition has equally vowed to embark on a fundraising drive to support the campaign of Amaju Pinnick for the CAF Presidency.

The group, in a world press conference on the state of the nation: Football Management and National Interest, Wednesday, October 14, in Abuja expressed that conspiracy against Nigerian football will meet resistance from citizens.

Speaking at the conference, the president of the Civil Society Network for Good Governance, Barrister Adefila Kamal, appealed to some unpatriotic elements to derail from their plan against Nigeria’s interests or they face the wrath of Nigerian.

According to him, this briefing is aimed at declaring their resolve to back the candidature of the NFF President for the continental’s top sports job, calling on all Nigerians to unite around this patriotic cause.

“We have noticed a worrying trend of excluding Nigerians from leadership positions in African multilateral organizations and in the world indeed. Even more worrying is the fact that Nigerians have been recruited to be a part of this dangerous conspiracy.

We were all witnesses to the opposition to Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina’s Presidency of the African Development Bank, in the quest to prevent him from securing a second term in an office he was duly qualified to occupy and which he has delivered unprecedented reforms and achievements. The travails of our own Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in her bid for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organization are also still fresh in mind as well as the attempts by some sister African countries and their agents to derail that quest.

“It appears that Africa is trying to tell Nigeria that, despite being big and having no history of exerting her will unduly on other countries, Nigerians cannot aspire to play at the highest levels in the decision making institutions.

“Today a very well qualified Nigerian (Amaju Pinnick) has an opportunity to become President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), a position never before occupied by a Nigerian despite Nigeria being a footballing giant even at the world stage and being the only country that participates in all FIFA & CAF competitions for all age groups and genders.

“The Pinnick led board has made unprecedented strides in making Nigerian football the beautiful bride it ought to have been all these years, attracting sponsorship and partnership suitors on a scale never before seen in football management in Nigeria.

“Nigeria can ill afford to have a group of “has-been” and “wanna-be” football leaders derail this progress and return football to the era of sole dependence on government funding, considering the fact that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking to diversify our economy and strengthen the revenue base of Nigeria.”

Adefila while itemizing the group resolution said; “87 member organizations of the Network shall be embarking on a fundraising drive to support the campaign of Amaju Pinnick for CAF Presidency, as we shall be doing for other suitably qualified Nigerians for international offices.

“Following the declarations of courts of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria, the continued persecution of the institution and leadership of the NFF is born out of malice and as consumers of the final product of football, we shall be taking these faceless cowards on inappropriate courts of law.

“The conspiracy against Nigerian football will be met with vigilance and confronted where malice is found to be a driving force behind the perpetrators.”

However, CSO then called on some unpatriotic elements trying to pull the country down to retrace their steps for the growth and development of football in the country: “We urge those who have been casting aspersions on the NFF, under the leadership of Amaju Pinnick, to retrace their steps and unite around national interests for the strengthening of that institution for sustainability over the long term.”

Speaking further, Bar. Adefila equally regretted how Amaju Melvin Pinnick led the board of the NFF has consistently been confronted with challenges ever since it came on stream from court cases questioning their legitimacy to series of spurious petitions alleging corruption which ordinarily ought to derail less determined or less patriotic people.

“NFF has in the last 20years been bedeviled with series of crises over the leadership that culminated in a number of leadership changes, with threats by the international body to ban the country on a number of occasions

“To date, the cabal that has been going around casting aspersions on the person of Amaju Pinnick, and spreading blatant falsehoods against the board and management of the NFF has never been able to present undeniable proof of their claims and yet they continue to throw stones at the very glass house they seek to occupy.

“Their scorch earth tactics have done enough damage and it is time they explore the legal means of getting the leadership of that institution, so as to preserve its integrity and sustain it on the path of development that Pinnick and his team have set it on.” The group said.

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Featured

NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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