Nigerian Football
Nigeria Football Federation Clocks 84, But They Don’t Know
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is 84 this Monday, even though officially, the body thinks it is 72 on an unknown date this year as reflected in its emblem.
As it is this year, the anniversary of Nigeria’s football governing body has always passed unnoticed, owing to improper record keeping which has made its officials to erroneously take the body’s foundation to be an undisclosed day in 1945.
“Founded 1945” now adorns the badge of the NFF. But no fact exists to back up the 1945 dateless claim, except the general belief that the Governor’s Cup which changed to Challenge Cup, later the Coca-Cola FA Cup and the Federation Cup and now AITEO was instituted that year by the then NFA.
Efforts to enunciate the facts on what was previously known as the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to the successive boards since 2003 had always been rebuffed. Verifiable archival materials have revealed that the NFF was founded at 7pm on Monday August 21, 1933, at house number 42, Broad Street, Lagos. The building still exists.
All the facts on the actual foundation date are verifiable and still exist. The facts were passed to the penultimate former Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the immediate former NFF president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari as well as his successor.
All are possibly still studying the documents presented to them. The documents had earlier been presented to the last two regimes of the then NFA/NFF – Ibrahim Galadima and Sani Ahmed Lulu as well as a former minister of Sports, Abdulrahman Hassan Gimba in 2008.
A presentation of the documents was made to the Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima-led NFA board on April 9, 2003. This was followed by a similar presentation to Alhaji Sani Lulu board on March 6, 2007, at the Lagos liaison office of the NFF.
There is no official reaction as all just promised to look into the documents. Alhaji Aminu Maigari was more receptive to dig a little bit into the documented evidences provided, but he was overwhelmed by the crisis that trailed the tail end of his tenure.
The current NFF president, Amaju Pinnick also has the documents since June 7, but no official reaction at the moment.
Most of the evidences on the actual foundation date of the Nigerian football governing body can be found at the Department of National Archives at the University of Ibadan.
The August 21, 1933 edition of the Nigerian Daily Times, which later changed to Daily Times, carried the advertisement of the meeting of football enthusiasts who planned to form a central organisation to be named Nigeria Football Association.
It called on interested people to attend. The venue was the Health Office, 42 Broad Street, Lagos. The building still exists as the Lagos Island Local Government Primary Health Clinic.
Four days later, the foundation of the NFA was reported in the Nigerian Daily Times of Friday, August 25, 1933, under the headline: “Nigeria Football Association.”
It was reported that 30 delegates attended the foundation of the NFA. One Henry A. Porter was appointed the first ever NFA boss.
He went by the title: ‘President.’ Porter was also the founding chairman of the LDAFA (now Lagos FA) in 1932, and secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD) club.
Other pioneer officials of the then NFA included three vice presidents –Adeyemo Alakija, Dr. Isaac Ladipo Oluwole and Baron Frederick Mulford (a white expatriate fondly called Baba Eko).
Joseph Mead was the pioneer secretary. According to the newspaper report, the NFA had 10 affiliated clubs at its foundation. They were Abeokuta and nine Lagos teams that accepted to become parent clubs. The nine founding parent clubs were Afric, Olympics, Health, PWD, Muslims, Railway Institute, Marine, Spalding and UAC.
The only definite refusal among Lagos- based clubs to become a parent club was the Police club which argued that a national association was an approach towards professionalism.
At that time, even up to the 1950s, professional football was scornfully regarded. For instance, in an article in the Sunday Times of September, 20 1953, NFA Secretary, R.B. Allen, never hid his hatred for professional football as it was regarded as capable of corrupting players.
The maiden annual general meeting of the NFA was fixed for January 1934. But it did not hold until Monday, February19, 1934. The half page uptight positioned report of the first annual general meeting of body was published in the Nigerian Daily Times edition of February 22, 1934, which is also available at the Department of National Archives at the University of Ibadan.
The secretary, Mead, complained that the response to invitations issued to clubs and districts to become members was poor.
He read a report dealing with efforts to popularise the idea of a national association. Mead stated that principal centres had been contracted on the aims and objectives of the NFA. But it seemed it was not a popular idea.
The newspaper account of the first Annual General Meeting of the then NFA revealed that the only definite acceptance of invitation to become district associations was from Abeokuta, Lagos Amateur and Lagos European Amateur Associations while Ijebu Ode promised to inaugurate a district association and league in the following season.
But more significantly, Mead reportedly told the meeting that an application had been forwarded to The Football Association (The FA) in London for affiliation.
That led to another opening in the search for the true origin of what is now known as the NFF. A letter was dispatched to The Football Association in England by this reporter.
David Berber, the Public Affairs Officer at The FA in a response dated April 2, 1996, wrote in part: “I can advise that the name of the Nigeria Football Association first appeared in the FA Handbook for the season 1938-39 in the list of our affiliated associations. The NFA secretary at that time was F.B Mulford, with a Lagos address.”
That is an indication that the body had existed before 1945. Then a visit to the offices of the oldest football body in the world which will, on October 26, celebrate its 154th anniversary resulted in more startling revelations.
Rivers United head coach and technical manager, Finidi George, has praised young defender Ochiobi Elias following his outstanding performance in the club’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture on Wednesday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
The left-back, who played the full 90 minutes, was instrumental in helping Rivers United maintain a clean sheet, marking one of his most confident outings since his promotion to the senior squad.
Finidi, visibly impressed after the match, revealed that his decision to give Elias a full game was driven by trust in the player’s potential, despite his limited minutes earlier in the season.
“I think he did well. Normally, we should have been bringing him in gradually — maybe 15 minutes before giving him a 90-minute match,” Finidi said. “But I trust him, and I’ve spoken to him. He should be relaxed, calm down, and play his football.”
The coach also highlighted a near-miss moment when Elias came close to scoring late in the game, a chance Finidi felt could have crowned his stellar performance.
“I think today he would have scored a goal at the last moment, but he still wanted to square the ball, look for somebody,” Finidi added. “I’m quite happy with his performance, and we will keep encouraging him to do better. I am very, very pleased.”
Elias, a product of the Rivers United youth team that won the NPFL Youth League in 2024, has been gradually integrated into the first team under Finidi’s guidance. His performance on Wednesday is seen as a major step forward in his development and a sign of his growing confidence.
The youngster is now expected to retain his place in the squad as Rivers United travel to Aba this Sunday for a crucial NPFL clash against Enyimba.
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Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the President Federation Cup, GTI Group, have congratulated the football governing body on the successful hosting of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a press statement issued on Friday in Lagos, GTI’s Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, lauded the NFF Board under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for the smooth conduct of the AGM and the significant progress made in Nigerian football development.
According to Ekejiuba, the Ibadan meeting reflected Gusau’s commitment to engaging stakeholders and strengthening unity across the football ecosystem.
“GTI Group congratulates the Nigeria Football Federation on the successful outcome of its Annual General Meeting held in Ibadan, which the President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, used the occasion to demonstrate his commitment to engaging positively with football stakeholders, including state football associations, clubs and fans,” he said.
“His interactions with the various groups at the AGM showcased his impactful leadership and dedication to promoting Nigerian football and fostering a collaborative environment.”
Ekejiuba also highlighted the Super Falcons’ recent achievements and the growth of domestic competitions, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), as key milestones recorded under Gusau’s leadership. GTI serves as a strategic partner of the NPFL, supporting its structural and commercial transformation.
The statement further expressed appreciation to Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for their hospitality and support during the AGM. Ekejiuba noted the governor’s commendation of the improved standard of refereeing in the NPFL under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye.
However, GTI also used the opportunity to express disappointment over the early exit of Kwara United and Abia Warriors from the CAF Confederation Cup, urging Nigerian clubs to raise their competitive standards on the continental stage.
“It is unfortunate that both Kwara United and Abia Warriors crashed out at the preliminary phase of the CAF Confederation Cup last weekend. This clearly shows that Nigerian clubs must raise their game in order to compete favourably,” the statement read.
“The future remains bright, but that is why GTI has been calling on Corporate Nigeria to invest more in our football, just as is done in thriving leagues across the world.”
Ekejiuba also extended words of encouragement to Remo Stars and Rivers United, who are still flying Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Champions League.
“We encourage them to dig deep and remain focused to ensure successful campaigns. They should give Nigerian football fans something to cheer this season because we understand how demanding continental competitions can be,” he concluded.
GTI Group reaffirmed its continued commitment to working closely with the NFF to advance football development, promote professionalism, and attract sustainable investment into the Nigerian game.
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The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has queried Warri Wolves following reports of the suspension of their head coach, Aluma Napoleon, faulting the club’s failure to comply with established procedures for contracting and registering technical officials.
In a letter titled “Notarization and Registration of Contracts” and signed by the NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, the league body directed the Delta-based club to regularize all contractual documentation with its technical and management staff in line with NPFL regulations.
The NPFL’s letter stated:
“Information reaching us from the media space suggests that the Delta State Sports Commission has suspended your head coach, Mr. Aluma Napoleon, with immediate effect.”
Citing Sections B, Articles 6 and 11 of the NPFL 2025/26 Framework and Rules, the league reminded Warri Wolves that all clubs are required to submit notarized contracts of their officials for registration and record purposes.
“You are, however, in breach of these sections as Warri Wolves FC have not submitted the contracts of its officials to the League Board. You are hereby requested, within twenty-four hours of receiving this letter, to submit all relevant contracts of your technical team, including that of the assumed suspended head coach, Mr. Napoleon Aluma, to the NPFL Secretariat,” the letter warned.
The NPFL further cautioned that failure to comply could lead to sanctions, including restricting Warri Wolves’ technical crew from accessing the bench in subsequent league matches.
“Note that failure to comply with this instruction will lead to the restriction of your technical team from accessing the technical area in future NPFL matches,” the league stated.
In a related statement to NPFL Media, COO Davidson Owumi stressed that the Warri Wolves case was not isolated, adding that all clubs yet to register the contracts of their technical officials must do so without delay.
“I must admonish all coaches to get hold of their contracts and lodge a report with the NPFL when there is a violation of the terms. It is the responsibility of the aggrieved to petition the league at all times,” Owumi emphasized.
The NPFL has been tightening administrative controls in recent seasons to ensure transparency, professionalism, and adherence to contractual obligations across all participating clubs.
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