By Comfort Olayinka
The House of Representatives Committee on Sports has proposed a solution to the long-standing issue of delayed payment of the Super Eagles’ foreign coach’s salary.
In a meeting with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership at the National Assembly Abuja,the committee advised incorporating the coaches’ salaries into the NFF’s annual budget, ensuring easier payment from the Federal Government.
This suggestion aims to address the persistent complaints about payment delays, which have plagued the team. Honourable Kabiru Amadu, Chairman of the Committee, emphasized the importance of collaboration between the committee and the NFF to improve the sport, recognizing football’s unifying role in Nigeria.
During the interactive meeting, the committee discussed the NFF’s 2024 budget performance and the challenges ahead of the 2025 appropriation. Amadu expressed satisfaction with the robust session, which included NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and the General Secretary.
The committee raised concerns about areas needing improvement and requested more details from the NFF before their next budget defense.
Gusau seized the opportunity to thank the House leadership for their support, particularly during the Super Eagles’ botched AFCON Qualifier against Libya. This gesture underscores the committee’s commitment to Nigerian football’s success.
By making the coaches’ salaries a budgetary item, the NFF can ensure timely payments, alleviating unnecessary distractions and enabling the team to focus on their performance. This development is a step towards resolving the financial woes that have hindered the Super Eagles’ progress in recent times.
” As a Committee it’s very necessary for us to be on the same page with the NFF so that we can continue to improve the game because football is a unifier and therefore we must do everything to always put smiles on the faces of Nigerians”.
” It was a robust session with both the NFF President and the General Secretary, and we also raised concerns about the areas we were not satisfied with and asked the NFF to furnish us with more details before their next Budget defense for 2025″.
