SWAN Orders Boycott Of NFF Activities Over ‘Unacceptable Exclusion’
For years, Nigerian football has grappled with governance challenges, but the rift between the nation’s football body and the sports media has now widened into a full-blown standoff.
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has ordered its members nationwide to boycott all activities of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), including the forthcoming Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday and signed by SWAN President, Isaiah Benjamin, and Secretary-General, Ikenna Okonkwo, the Association condemned what it described as the NFF’s “deliberate and persistent” exclusion of sports writers from the statutory composition of its Congress.
SWAN accused the Federation of sidelining a critical stakeholder in football development, calling the move “retrogressive, unacceptable and detrimental to Nigerian football.”
Despite repeated engagements, the Association said the NFF leadership had remained obstinate, adopting “divisive and destructive” approaches while Nigerian football fortunes continue to dwindle despite massive government and corporate support.
As part of its boycott, SWAN directed members to stop covering or publicising any NFF activity and announced the creation of a task force to enforce compliance.
It also vowed to investigate and expose alleged maladministration within the Federation, which it blamed for Nigeria’s recent World Cup qualification failures.
“The exclusion of the sporting media from the highest decision-making body of Nigerian football will no longer be tolerated,” SWAN declared, insisting it remains a critical stakeholder in the football ecosystem.
