Governing Bodies
FG inaugurates board members of National Institute for Sports
The Federal Government has inaugurated the new Board Members of the National Institute of Sports (NIS) with a view to providing effective governance and policy direction for the Institution in line with the enabling Instrument that established it.
The Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, while inaugurating the Board in his office in Abuja today, called on them to bring their wealth of experience to bear in ensuring the realisation of the mission and mandate of the Institute
The Minister observed that the Institution was topmost in Africa for sports administration before it suddenly lost its glory, but expressed optimism that with the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration to sports development in the country as well as the appointment of seasoned sports administrators into the new Board, “i believe the Institution will occupy its pride of place in Africa again.”
He added that with the recent approval of the National Sports Industry Policy, (NSIP), which provides for private sector participation in sports as a business and not mere recreation, the challenge of funding and other related issues concerning sporting activities in Nigeria, will soon be a thing of the past.
“Your role as a Board is explicit, to move National Institute of Sports in the direction of modernity much beyond the reputation of NIS before now,” Dare said.
He informed that though efforts are ongoing to establish the first university of sports in the country, the Institute till then, remains the nation’s sports institution that needs credibility of examination process to ensure its certificate is fully recognised.
Dare stated further that the Ministry has signed a Ten-Year Football Masterplan which is aimed at addressing the fundamental anomalies that have plagued the development of football in the country, for the benefit of a broader strata of the society.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, called on the Board Members to partner with relevant institutions and stakeholders in order to realise the mission and vision of the Institute
He assured that the Ministry will continue to support the Board to ensure it succeeds in the discharge of its mandate
Responding, the Board Chairman, Barr. Danladi Ibrahim thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, as well as top management staff of the Administration for the privilege given to them to serve, assuring that they will bring in their wealth of experience to bear in ensuring the realization of the Institute’s mandate.
The newly inaugurated board members are as follows-
i. Barr. Danladi Ibrahim – Chairman
ii. Major General Okpeh Wilson Ali – Member
iii. AIG Hafiz Inuwa – Member
iv. Lawrence Babatunde Aremu – Member
v. Dr. Fatima Kabir Umar – Member
vi. Boniface C. Odum – Member
vii. Salisu Manman Aliyu – Member
viii. Ag. DCG Gregory A. Itohoh
ix. Prof O. A. Moronkola – Member
x. The Registrar – Member/Secretary
xi. Kunle Solaja – Member
xii. Commodore Omatseye Nesiama- Member
xiii. Mr. Awogbade Ayorinde Gbadebo
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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