Former Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has attributed the steady decline of Nigerian football to entrenched corruption and impunity within the sport’s administrative structure Tidesprts reports.
In an article shared with journalists, Dalung said Nigeria’s football fortunes will continue to deteriorate unless the deep-rooted rot in governance is confronted with sincerity and courage.
Dalung expressed disappointment that since 2018, the Super Eagles have repeatedly failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, stressing that the reasons behind the failures are neither “mysterious nor accidental.”
“Until we confront the rot with courage and implement the right reforms, the ghosts of indecision, corruption and impunity will continue to define our football destiny,” he said.
A Revealing Encounter
Reflecting on his time as minister, Dalung recalled an encounter with an elderly cleaner in the ministry an exchange he described as “unforgettable.” According to him, the cleaner remarked that “in sports, we work harder for failure than for success.”
Confused, Dalung sought clarification. The cleaner explained that tournament budgets within football are typically prepared from the group stage to the finals, with bonuses and allowances calculated in advance. Administrative officials, he said, profit when teams exit competitions early because “unearned funds are neither retired nor accounted for.”
Dalung said the revelation proved accurate throughout his tenure. When he demanded financial accountability, he claimed his actions were reframed as “ministerial interference,” prompting coordinated pushback, including allegations sent to FIFA and threats of international sanctions.
“Corruption would once again triumph,” he said, adding that portions of the sports media, misinformed or manipulated,focused their criticism on the minister instead of investigating systemic abuses.
Concerned about the declining state of Nigerian football, Dalung said he convened a high-powered Technical Committee chaired by Col. Abdulmumuni and composed of former NFA executives, ex-internationals, coaches’ representatives, private-sector members and government officials.
The committee’s report, he said, identified pervasive corruption, unpaid allowances, nepotism, impunity and a lack of transparency as central causes of stagnation. One of its boldest recommendations proposed that Nigeria voluntarily withdraw from international football for six months and request FIFA to appoint a Normalization Committee to reform and rebuild the governance structure.
Dalung said the ministry accepted the recommendations and notified both the Presidency and FIFA. However, the process stalled whenthen-President Muhammadu Buhari fell ill and travelled abroad for medical treatment. During that period, he said, the Presidency independently wrote to FIFA to reject the ministry’s submission without consulting him.
“That singular act was a major victory for corruption and impunity,” Dalung stated, adding that the consequences of that disruption still haunt Nigerian football.