Institutional collaboration has been identified as a critical tool for promoting inclusiveness, equity, and transparency in governance, particularly in sectors with strong national unifying influence such as football. This position was underscored during a high-level engagement between the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja.
The discussion took place during a courtesy visit by the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, alongside members of the federation’s board and management, to the headquarters of the FCC on Thursday, February 5. The visit provided a platform for both institutions to explore areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening fairness, accountability, and balanced representation within sports administration.
Addressing the delegation, the Executive Chairman of the FCC, Hon. Hulayat Ayo Omidiran, reiterated the commission’s constitutional responsibility to promote equity and national balance across Nigeria’s public institutions. She noted that while sports often operate outside the traditional framework of public service, bodies connected to sports administration must still reflect the principles of fairness, inclusiveness, and representativeness enshrined in the federal character mandate.
According to her, the FCC currently supervises and monitors over 700 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies nationwide, and institutions linked to sports governance are not exempt from these standards. She stressed that adherence to federal character principles in appointments, opportunities, and decision-making processes remains essential to sustaining national cohesion.
Hon. Omidiran explained that collaboration with the NFF would help advance the commission’s broader vision of inclusive governance while also harnessing football’s unique capacity to unite Nigerians across ethnic, regional, and cultural lines. She added that structured engagement between regulatory institutions and sporting bodies could reinforce transparency, accountability, and balanced national representation within football administration.
The FCC chairman, who spoke in the company of Hon. Halima Ahmadu Jabiru, Commissioner representing Nasarawa State, further highlighted the importance of aligning sports governance with national values. Drawing from her background in football administration, including her role as a former chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League and proprietor of Omidiran Babes, she emphasized that fairness in governance strengthens credibility and public trust in sports institutions.
Gusau said the visit was both a congratulatory and solidarity engagement, reflecting Omidiran’s enduring status within the Nigerian football community. He also acknowledged the critical role of the Federal Character Commission in promoting fairness, equity, and national unity, expressing the federation’s willingness to deepen collaboration in ways that support balanced development across football structures at all levels.
The NFF delegation included First Vice President Felix Anyansi-Agwu; Board Member and Chairman of the Nationwide League One (NLO), Hon. Silas Agara; Secretary General, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed; Director of Competitions, Ms. Ruth David; Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Rajan Zaka; as well as other senior officials of the federation.
Both parties expressed optimism that sustained engagement between the FCC and the NFF would not only strengthen governance standards within football administration but also reinforce the sport’s role as a powerful instrument for national integration and unity.