SWAN Boycotts NFF, Vows Exposé On Mismanagement In Nigerian Football
By AUGUSTUS ISICHEI
THE Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has declared a nationwide boycott of all Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) activities, including its forthcoming Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Ibadan.
In a statement signed by SWAN President, Isaiah Benjamin, and Secretary-General, Ikenna Okonkwo, the association condemned the NFF’s “deliberate and retrogressive” exclusion of sports media from its Congress, despite repeated demands for reintegration.
“The media is a critical pillar of sports growth worldwide. Yet, while claiming to expand its Congress, the NFF has sidelined us—an affront that weakens transparency and harms Nigerian football,” the statement read.
SWAN also blasted the Federation’s “divisive and destructive” management style, linking Nigeria’s declining football fortunes—including repeated World Cup qualification failures—to chronic maladministration.
As part of the boycott, SWAN has formed a task force to enforce compliance nationwide and pledged to launch investigative reports exposing the “backward practices” within the NFF.
“Nigeria cannot watch its most cherished sport deteriorate under avoidable circumstances. This boycott is a decisive step to hold the NFF accountable,” SWAN declared.
