Media Blackout: SWAN Boycotts NFF Activities Over Congress Exclusion, Citing Maladministration

IBADAN, OYO STATE — The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has escalated its long-standing conflict with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), announcing a nationwide boycott of all NFF-related activities, including the Federation’s upcoming Annual General Assembly (AGA) scheduled to be held in Ibadan. This decisive action is a direct response to what the Association describes as the “deliberate and persistent exclusion” of the sporting media body from the NFF Congress, its highest decision-making forum.

In a strongly-worded statement jointly issued on Wednesday by the SWAN President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, and the Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, the Association vehemently condemned the NFF’s actions as “unacceptable, retrogressive, and an affront” to the media’s globally recognised role as a critical pillar in sports development. SWAN emphasized that despite consistent engagement with the NFF leadership to reinstate their rightful place in the Congress, the Federation has remained obstinate, choosing to sideline the professional body coordinating sports journalism in Nigeria—a move deemed short-sighted and detrimental to the nation’s football fortunes.

The core of the dispute revolves around the composition of the NFF Congress. Traditionally, statutory bodies like the Nigerian Referees Association, the Nigerian Football Coaches Association, the League bodies (NPFL, NNL, etc.), and the State Football Associations form the critical voting membership. Historical precedence and legislative frameworks have often included the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria as a key affiliate and observer, a position SWAN is now aggressively fighting to reclaim. Their exclusion is seen as stripping the football ecosystem of a vital independent voice necessary for oversight and accountability.

Beyond the issue of exclusion, the Association leveled sharp accusations of maladministration and mismanagement against the current NFF leadership. SWAN warned that the continued decline in the nation’s football results—a reality underscored by the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the recent poor showing of the home-based Eagles (CHAN team)—is a direct reflection of ongoing institutional decay. This maladministration is often linked to systemic issues like the chronic non-payment of salaries and bonuses to national team coaches and players, inadequate logistics, and a pronounced lack of long-term technical planning in favour of short-term, politically-driven decisions.

The statement read, “Despite enormous financial and institutional support from the Federal Government, state governments, and private sponsors, Nigeria’s football continues to nosedive. It is time to put a decisive end to this dangerous trend. Nigeria cannot afford to watch its most cherished sport deteriorate under avoidable circumstances.”

Effective immediately, all SWAN members across the country have been instructed to cease coverage and promotion of any NFF-related activity, a directive which signals a complete media blackout that could significantly cripple the publicity and sponsor visibility for NFF programmes, including the critical Annual General Assembly. The Association further announced the immediate establishment of a task force to ensure strict enforcement of the directive. Simultaneously, SWAN vowed to launch a thorough investigation aimed at the public exposure of the backward practices and corruption that have become synonymous with the Federation’s operations and contributed to Nigeria’s recent qualification failures on the global stage.

SWAN concluded by reaffirming its position as a critical stakeholder, vowing to resist any attempt to marginalize the sporting media. The Association stands resolute in defending the integrity and rightful role of journalists in the Nigerian football ecosystem, ensuring the public is informed and administrators are held accountable.