FIFA president Gianni Infantino has pledged the world football governing body’s continued support for Nigeria’s efforts to develop the sport following a meeting with a delegation from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Zurich, Switzerland.
The Nigerian delegation, led by NSC chairman Malam Shehu Dikko, visited FIFA headquarters on Tuesday for discussions on the development and administration of football in the country.
Infantino described the meeting as an opportunity to discuss Nigeria’s football priorities and areas of collaboration with FIFA.
“I was pleased to sit down with a delegation from Nigeria led by National Sports Commission Chairman, Shehu Dikko, at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to hold important discussions and align on our vision for football in the country,” Infantino said in a post on FIFA’s X account.
He said the discussions covered institutional, governance and development issues, as well as existing areas of collaboration between FIFA and Nigeria.
“We had a detailed talk on institutional, governance and developmental topics, as well as our ongoing collaborations,” he said.
Infantino stressed the importance of establishing stronger structures and development pathways to create more opportunities for young people, adding that the meeting explored areas where FIFA could provide further support for football in Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
The FIFA president also wished Nigeria’s junior women’s national teams, the Falconets and Flamingos, success at their respective upcoming FIFA World Cup tournaments.
“I also wished luck to the Falconets and Flamingos for the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and thanked the entire team for their time, ideas and positive intent to work together in taking Nigerian football forward,” he said.
Infantino’s comments also appeared to contradict an earlier purported letter said to have been issued by FIFA to the NSC and NFF concerning developments within the NFF.
The authenticity of the alleged letter, which reportedly sought clarification on whether the mass resignation of former NFF president Ibrahim Gusau and the federation’s entire executive committee was voluntary or influenced by the government, has been questioned.
