President of FIFA Gianni Infantino has said the meeting he had with the Nigeria delegation was a successful one.
Infantino said this in a release by the Director Information and Public Relations, National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Keninde Amati,
A Nigerian delegation led by the NSC chairman Shehu Dikko met with Infantino on Tuesday in Zurich, Switzerland.
The meeting focused on institutional, governance and developmental issues affecting Nigerian football, as well as opportunities to deepen ongoing collaboration between Nigeria and FIFA.
In a reflection of FIFA’s commitment to engage constructively with Nigeria’s reform process, Infantino said he was pleased to meet the delegation and described the discussions as an opportunity to align on a shared vision for the future of Nigerian football.
“I was pleased to sit down with a delegation from Nigeria, led by National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Shehu Dikko, at the Home of FIFA in Zürich to hold important discussions and align on our vision for football in the country,” Infantino said.
He said the discussions went beyond immediate football competitions, and also focused on the institutional foundations required to create a stronger and more sustainable football ecosystem.
“We had a detailed talk on institutional, governance and developmental topics, as well as our ongoing collaborations,” he said.
“While stressing the need to create stronger structures and pathways to provide even more opportunities for the youth, we explored areas where FIFA can further support the growth of our beautiful game in this football-passionate country.
Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, who was part of the delegation said the engagement demonstrates the NSC’s approach of working with international football institutions, and key national stakeholders to ensure that reforms are developed in line with global best practices while addressing Nigeria’s specific football development needs.
“For the NSC, the Zurich engagement represents another important step in the ongoing process of repositioning Nigerian football through stronger institutions, clearer development pathways, improved governance and greater opportunities for young Nigerians.”
Other top officials who were part of the delegation to Zurich include Special Advisor to the CAF President and Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Men’s National Teams’ Competitions Committee, Amaju Pinnick; NFF Acting General Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme; NFF’s Director of Legal Services, Okey Obi Esq. other officials at the meeting are CAF 2nd Vice President Kurt-Okraku and FIFA’s Director of Member Associations (Africa), Gelson Fernandes.
