The national leadership of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has directed its members across the country to boycott all activities of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), including the forthcoming Annual General Assembly (AGA) scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, SWAN accused the NFF of “deliberate and continuous exclusion” of the Association from the composition of the Federation’s Congress, describing the action as “unacceptable, retrogressive, and an affront to the role of the sporting media in national football development.”
The statement, jointly signed by SWAN President, Mr Isaiah Benjamin, and Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, stressed that the NFF’s refusal to include sports writers in its highest decision-making body undermines both transparency and the growth of Nigerian football.
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SWAN blasts NFF leadership
“The media plays a vital role in the growth of sports worldwide. As the professional body representing sports journalists in Nigeria, SWAN has consistently engaged with the NFF leadership to restore our rightful position within its Congress. Regrettably, while professing to expand its Congress, the Federation has deliberately sidelined us, which is a shortsighted and damaging move for Nigerian football,” the Association said.
It further alleged that the NFF under its current leadership has adopted “divisive and destructive tactics” in managing the game, warning that Nigeria’s football fortunes continue to sink despite significant financial and institutional support from government and corporate sponsors.
“The persistent decline of Nigerian football is a direct result of maladministration. It is crucial to put an end to this alarming trend. Nigeria cannot afford to see its beloved sport deteriorate due to avoidable circumstances,” the statement added.
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SWAN announced that all its members nationwide must refrain from covering or promoting any NFF event, including the Ibadan AGA. To enforce compliance, the Association said a task force will be established. It also pledged to launch a comprehensive investigation and expose what it described as the maladministration and backward practices bedeviling the Federation, which have contributed to repeated failures in World Cup qualification.
“The exclusion of the sporting media from the highest decision-making body of Nigerian football is intolerable and will no longer be accepted,” SWAN declared, reaffirming its commitment to defend its role as a key stakeholder in the nation’s football ecosystem.
