Huge task, high expectations as Ex-NFF chieftain Shehu Dikko returns to the saddle

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday made a bold move to reform Nigerian sports administration by scrapping the Ministry of Sports and replacing it with the National Sports Commission (NSC).

Shortly after this announcement, renowned football administrator Mallam Shehu Dikko was named chairman of the newly established NSC. Dikko, a familiar face in Nigerian sports, returns to the scene with a larger responsibility, having previously managed football administration.

The Kaduna-born Dikko formerly served as the chairman of the defunct League Management Company (LMC), which oversaw the Nigerian domestic top flight before it was disbanded. His role as LMC chairman automatically made him the second vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), where he held various key positions, including chairing the NFF’s Marketing and Sponsorship Committee.

After losing his position as LMC chairman, Dikko also relinquished his role as NFF vice president. He later contested for the NFF presidency but lost to the incumbent, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau. His expertise extends beyond domestic football, having served as a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee.

During his time leading the league board, Dikko’s contributions brought significant changes to Nigerian football, using his private sector experience to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.

However, Dikko now faces a far larger challenge, moving from overseeing football to managing the nation’s entire sports sector as the NSC chairman. This role was last held by Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye as Director General, who, coincidentally, succeeded Dikko as the head of the league body.

Dikko’s appointment has been met with widespread approval from sports personalities who believe he has the skills needed to restore Nigerian sports. NFF President Ibrahim Gusau expressed confidence in Dikko’s ability, citing his vast experience in football administration, marketing, and international roles with FIFA and CAF.

“I have no doubt that he has the knowledge, skill, experience, steadfastness, temperament, diligence, and intelligence to make a success of the National Sports Commission,” Gusau said. “We served together on the NFF Board for close to eight years, and I can attest to his enterprise and resourcefulness. He is a man full of meaningful and positive ideas.”

With high expectations, Nigerians are eager to see how the soft-spoken Dikko will tackle this national assignment and bring his wealth of experience to bear in transforming the country’s sports sector.