Governing Bodies
The National Sports Commission that Nigeria deserves
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is over two weeks now since the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) as the apex sports governing body of Nigeria. Beyond the naming of Shehu Dikko as the Chairman, nothing more has been made public regarding the role of the NSC and its composition.
In simple terms, what has happened so far is a mere change of nomenclature from the Federal Ministry of Sports Development to the National Sports Commission. Beyond that, Sports organisation in the country have been downgraded as the man at the apex cannot sit at the weekly Federal Executive Council since is not a cabinet-ranked administrator.
Beyond that, the leadership of sports organisation is reduced to that of sole administrator since there is no board or board members as it was when there were extant laws setting up the NSC.
Such laws included the Decree 34 of 1971 and the amended version, Decree 34 of 1979. Those laws spelt out the roles and mode of composition of the National Sports Commission.
For instance, Decree 34 of 1971 established the NSC as a replacement for the National Sports Council, which was previously a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Labour.
It did not stand in isolation. It worked under a commissioner *now a minister in the current dispensation). It had at the apex, a chairman overseeing a board with a well-defined composition. Also, there was an Executive Committee, of which the NSC Charman is the head.
The composition of both the NSC and its executive committee was well articulated. So also, were their roles. Within the NSC, was also another board, the National Stadia Management Board which the NSC Chairman heads.
Others include the commission’s secretary and five other members drawn from the NSC.
Like what happens in present-day Morocco, where most of the kingdom’s owned stadiums are being kept in good condition by the state-run company, Société nationale de réalisation et de gestion des stades (SONARGES) which in English translates to National stadium construction and management company., the stadia management board in the previous NSC was charged with that same responsibility of maintenance.
As it is now, a chairman has been named for the NSC. Without a board, he becomes a sole administrator and will rule according to his understandings as the public has not been informed of any specific assignment for the chairman.
The ideal would have been the establishment of a board for the NSC and mode of composition well laid out as were the instances with the Decree 34 of 1971 and the amended version of 1979 – Decree 34 of 1979.
Whatever the situation, the NSC deserves to have a minister of cabinet ranking for direct liaison with the Federal Government. Alternatively, the chairman should be upgraded to the ministerial position and supervision a board that will be an upgrade of the ones stipulated in the decrees 34 of 1971 and 1979.
With the Decree 7 of 1991dissolving the NSC, the nation appears to have lost track of the essence of the commission. Even when it was brought back under later regimes, it was just another nomenclature for the sports ministry as the NSC existed without a board.
Changing names from Ministry to Commission will not necessarily translate to getting improvement in sports administration. An NSC in the present situation is just a substitute to the Ministry of Sports. It is not an alternative.
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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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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