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In a significant step towards strengthening support for Nigerian football, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, has endorsed the ongoing efforts to unify the nation’s football supporters clubs. Dikko welcomed representatives of various supporters clubs to his office, commending their decision to harmonize and work together under a single umbrella. Using a metaphor, he likened their unity to a bundle of broomsticks: “If you single out broomsticks, you could so easily break them one after the other. But when you put them together as a bunch, you cannot break the broom.”

The delegation, led by Mr. Vincent Okumagba, briefed the NSC Chairman on the outcome of a meeting summoned by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), where the groups agreed to set aside their differences and work as one for the greater good of Nigerian football and sports in general. A Call for Unity in Support of Nigerian Football. Dikko urged the supporters clubs to intensify their efforts toward unity, emphasizing that a collective approach would enhance the overall impact of their support.

“You must come together and work as a group so that we can achieve the desired goal,” he stated. “When we are all working together towards the same goal, success is guaranteed. When you see the army and police marching, they march at the same time, but once one person falters, everything comes to zero.” While acknowledging that the decision to unify rests with the clubs themselves, Dikko stressed that a single, coordinated supporters club would provide the best backing for the national team.

“We want everyone to be in one Supporters Club, but we won’t be the ones to force you. You have to meet and agree to be one. You have to unite in the interest of the sport you all claim to love,” he said.

Focus on World Cup Qualification

Beyond unity, the NSC Chairman reminded the delegation of the immediate task at hand—ensuring the Super Eagles secure a spot in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

“Our task now is to make sure that we get that World Cup ticket. We have to be focused and put all our energy into getting that done. What is home advantage when the supporters are not behind you as a group? We all need to come together and sing in one voice to give our players the home advantage that they need,” he emphasized.

Dikko assured the clubs of the Commission’s full support in their mission to rally behind the national team. “We in the Commission myself, my DG, and the staff are fully supporting and enforcing this move to have a unified group. We are here to render any support you need from us,” he concluded.

Key Stakeholders in Attendance

The meeting saw the presence of top figures in Nigerian football support, including:

Vincent Okumagba – President, Super Eagles Supporters Club

Hon. Sunday Gulong – President, Nigeria Eagles Supporters Club

Amb. Abimbola Ariyo – National Secretary, Nigeria Eagles Supporters Club

Amb. Kemi Ogunfuwa – President, Football Fans Club of Nigeria

Umar Shehu – Northern Coordinator, Super Eagles Supporters Club amongst others. 

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, has reaffirmed his commitment to inclusivity in sports administration, pledging to engage all key stakeholders in the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s sports economy and grassroots development mandates. During a courtesy visit from the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), Dikko emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving national sports objectives.

"We have a clear mandate from the President to build the sports economy and enhance grassroots sports development," he stated. "To achieve this, we must involve all stakeholders. That is why our doors remain open to meaningful engagement. We welcome input and ideas rather than resorting to public complaints." The NSC chairman also promised to revisit the previous administration’s commitment to including AFFAN in the boards of Sports Federations. "Since the former minister had already approved your inclusion, we will explore ways to implement that decision," he assured.

Recognizing the historical contributions of female athletes to Nigeria’s sporting achievements, Dikko highlighted plans to ensure women’s representation in major sporting events. "We acknowledge the impact of female athletes in securing laurels for the country. Just as we have agreed with Olympians on the inclusion of ex-internationals in our teams, we will ensure that women are adequately represented," he added.

Additionally, he outlined plans to decentralize sports administration by strengthening the Commission’s zonal offices. According to him, "These offices will operate as mini sports commissions, each led by a Federal Sports Commissioner tasked with talent discovery. There is already budgetary provision for these zonal offices, which will focus on school sports as a foundation for grassroots development."

The visit was led by AFFAN President, Dr. Toyin Aluko. 

The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has rejected the proposal to create five additional states in the South-East, arguing that it would further deepen the region’s marginalization.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review proposed the creation of 31 new states across the country. If approved, Nigeria’s state structure would expand from 36 to 67, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Among the proposed states are Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, and Aba in the South-East, alongside others from different regions.

However, in a statement on Friday, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide, described the proposal as unfair to the South-East.

He noted that while the Igbo have long decried being limited to five states, compared to other regions with six or seven, the new proposal still fails to bridge the gap.

“We were initially excited about the idea of state creation, but upon closer examination, it became evident that the South-East remains shortchanged. While other regions are gaining more states, our zone is only getting five, further entrenching the injustice we have suffered since 1999,” Okwu stated.

He insisted that true national unity could only be achieved if the South-East was first granted two additional states to match the six-state structure of other zones, followed by an equal distribution across all regions.

Okwu also criticized South-East lawmakers for allowing such an imbalanced proposal to be put forward, urging them to revisit the issue and correct the anomaly in the interest of justice and national cohesion. 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is again pushing for the creation of an electoral offence tribunal. According to the INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, the move becomes important owing to the backlog of electoral offence cases.

Mahmood spoke in Abuja on Friday during the commission’s first regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media. “A major obstacle to the speedy dispensation of justice in this regard is that electoral offences are not time-bound as is the case with post-election offences through the tribunals. Furthermore, they are solely prosecuted by the Magistrate and State High Courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged offences are committed,” the INEC chief told the gathering.

“No priority attention is given to such cases as the courts deal with a variety of other cases. Consequently, electoral offences are carried over from one General Election to another which may sometimes affect the diligent prosecution of the cases. It is therefore imperative to renew our call for the creation of the Electoral Offences Tribunal that have a specific jurisdiction and limited timeframe for the speedy dispensation of cases.”

The INEC chair decried the delay in the justice delivery system, citing the conviction of a returning officer in Akwa Ibom after six years. “The recent successful prosecution of a Returning Officer in Akwa Ibom State is a case in point. The Commission has been diligently pursuing the case which arose from the 2019 General Election. In this particular case, it took nearly six years to achieve the successful prosecution at the trial court,” he said.

“Through our collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) cases involving 774 alleged offenders from the 2023 General Election are being prosecuted. So far, successful prosecutions have been recorded in Kebbi and Kogi States while our collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on vote-buying has yielded similar results in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe States. Yet, many cases are still pending.” 

The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed claims that the government has scrapped the Junior and Senior Secondary School (JSS and SSS) system, clarifying that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, only proposed a 12-year basic education system.

In a statement on Friday, the ministry, through its Director of Press, Folasade Boriowo, described reports of an immediate policy change as inaccurate, stating that the proposal is still under review by the National Council on Education (NCE).

“At the Extraordinary National Council on Education Meeting held on February 6, 2025, in Abuja, the Minister of Education presented a proposal for discussion—not an immediate policy change. The proposed reform seeks to introduce 12 years of compulsory education while maintaining the 6-3-3 structure,” the statement read.

The ministry further explained that one key aspect of the proposal is to remove the examination barrier between JSS and SSS, allowing students to transition smoothly without external assessments at that stage. However, the plan remains subject to further deliberations.

To ensure informed decision-making, the ministry announced plans to engage key stakeholders over the next eight months, including education policymakers, state governments, teachers, and parents. A final decision is expected to be made at the National Council on Education meeting in October 2025.

The ministry urged the public to disregard misleading reports, emphasizing that the Federal Government remains committed to policies that enhance access to quality education while aligning with global best practices. 

The Ogun State Government has arraigned nine associates of controversial singer Portable for allegedly assaulting government officials, while the artist himself is reportedly on the run.

The suspects appeared before an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, facing five charges, including armed violence, obstruction, assault, and intent to kill. They allegedly attacked officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development at Portable’s Odogwu Bar in Sango-Ota.

According to Police Prosecutor Sunday Ekong, the defendants—armed with cutlasses and guns—assaulted town planners who were enforcing the sealing of Portable’s uncompleted hotel and building for lacking proper permits. The singer was accused of leading the attack but is currently at large.

The court granted the suspects N5 million bail each, requiring registered bond agents as sureties. The case was adjourned to March 17 for hearing.