Officials of the world football governing body, FIFA, are expected to arrive in Nigeria in the coming days as the leadership crisis within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) continues.
The development was confirmed in an email issued by FIFA on September 7.
The planned visit contradicts earlier reports suggesting that FIFA and a delegation from the National Sports Commission (NSC), led by its Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Director General, Bukola Olopade, had reached an agreement on the proposed reforms for Nigerian football.
In the email addressed to Barrister Emmanuel Ikpeme and signed by Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, the organisation stated:
“FIFA and CAF are currently assessing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral implications arising from the current circumstances within the NFF.
“This assessment requires a careful review of the relevant facts, the applicable NFF regulatory framework and the positions communicated by the various stakeholders concerned.”
FIFA stressed that the review remains ongoing and that no final conclusions have been reached regarding the matter.
The organisation further requested that Ikpeme remain the primary point of contact between the NFF, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), rather than the NSC, until further notice.
The email also disclosed that FIFA and CAF will “conduct a joint assessment mission to Abuja, Nigeria, at the earliest possible opportunity.
“The purpose of this mission will be to engage with the relevant stakeholders and gather the information necessary to enable FIFA and CAF to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the situation.”
