Sports

NFF Elections: FG studying Process Urges Stakeholders to Obey Court order

Published

4 years ago

September 28, 2022

Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government has called on stakeholders in the Nigerian Football Family to remain calm and abide by the Court Order, by not doing anything or taking any further steps particularly, as regards the NFF elections scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2022 in Benin.

In a statement signed by Director, Press & Public Relations Mohammed Manga on Wednesday in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alh. Ismaila Abubakar gave the advice his Office in Abuja.

According to him, the Ministry is not oblivious of the recent developments concerning the Elective Congress of NFF which ordinarily had been scheduled to take place on the 30th September, 2022.

“The Ministry is also aware of the Court Order made by Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court on the 15th day of September, 2022 whereby the Court had directed all parties, including NFF and the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development to maintain status quo ante pending the final Order of Court”, he said
The Permanent Secretary stated further that “Following from the above Order of Court, which had also been served on the Office of the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development as 3rd Defendant in the case under reference, the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development will obey and abide by the Court Order and hereby advises all other Defendants in this case, including NFF to abide by the Order of Court by not doing anything or taking any further step(s); particularly, as regard NFF elections that will be or could be interpreted to amount to disobedience to lawful Court Order or contemptOf Court.

He explained that it is also in the public domain that NFF known under the Nigeria existing law as NFA, (NFA ACT 2004) is one of the parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

Alh. Ismaila added that the Ministry is studying all processes served on it concerning this case, and will take appropriate steps or action to defend itself within the context permitted by the law of our land.

On this note he said, “Stakeholders in the Nigeria Football Family are therefore urged to remain calm and law abiding as the Ministry seeks a resolution”.

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Sports

Tinubu, Fashola, Governors, UNESCO, Sports Leaders to Headline National Grassroots Sports Summit

Published

9 hours ago

October 29, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The stage is being set for a landmark gathering at the Presidential Villa as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, and leading figures from government, sports administration and international development feature in the proposed opening-day programme of the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026.

In a statement signed by Thursday by the Chairperson Media Sub-com National Grassroot Sports Summit Dr. (Mrs.) Kehinde Ajayi stated that, the two-day Summit, scheduled for November 18–19, 2026, at the Banquet Hall, State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja, is being organized by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye.

With the theme “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” the gathering seeks to produce practical solutions to Nigeria’s longstanding challenges in talent discovery, infrastructure, funding, coaching and athlete development.

The opening day, Wednesday, November 18, promises high-level engagement, with President Tinubu listed as Special Guest of Honour, while Fashola is scheduled to deliver a keynote address.

Also featuring in the Day One programme is Dr. Tayo Aduloju, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), whose organization has been engaged as technical partner to help translate discussions into a workable development roadmap.

Other personalities and institutions on the opening-day lineup include the Chairman and Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade; the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; the President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); and the Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Nigeria.

Also listed are Barrister Enitan Oshodi, President of the African Table Tennis Federation; the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee; and Dr. Musa Nakorji of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Research Department.

The involvement of these personalities reflects the Summit’s emphasis on connecting sports development with economic planning, education, grassroots governance, international cooperation and private-sector investment.

Adeboye described the gathering as an opportunity to move Nigerian sports beyond isolated achievements towards a coordinated national development system.

“The real question is not whether Nigeria has sporting talent.
We know we have talent in abundance. The question is how we build a system that discovers, nurtures and supports that talent consistently, from our communities and schools to the international stage,” he said.

He stressed that the participation of state governments, local councils, development institutions and sports administrators would be critical to producing lasting outcomes.

The Summit will continue on Thursday, November 19, with further stakeholder engagements aimed at developing actionable recommendations for sustainable grassroots sports development with preparations intensifying, organizers are confident that the gathering will provide a defining platform for strengthening the foundation of Nigerian sports and expanding opportunities for young people nationwide.

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