Harrison Jalla calls for NFF reset amid 2026 election dispute

Prince Harrison Jalla has called for a fundamental restructuring of Nigerian football, saying changes to personnel alone will not resolve the problems facing the Nigeria Football Federation. His proposal includes equal representation and voting rights for the country’s five recognised federal units as the NFF’s 2026 electoral process draws growing scrutiny.

Jalla, who leads the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reforms Initiative and the PFAN Task Force, believes the current arrangement has concentrated influence and failed to produce effective football administration. He wants the NFF board and Congress to redesign the system so that the different statutory stakeholders have a more balanced role in choosing the federation’s leadership.

The reform advocate has argued that the debate should go beyond the identity of the next NFF president. In his view, the structure that produces the federation’s leaders must change if Nigeria is to develop administrators who are competent and accountable. He has described the decline of Nigerian football over the past 10 to 12 years as an administrative and organisational problem.

Jalla also wants grassroots football placed at the centre of a new national plan. He has called for stronger foundations, improved youth development and a clear route from grassroots competitions to the national teams. In March, he urged the NFF to bring together experienced football figures to create a blueprint after Nigeria missed the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.

His demands extend to any proposed NFF Normalisation Committee. Jalla says its members should have established football knowledge and administrative ability, rather than being chosen mainly on political or sectional grounds. He has also questioned whether some current federation officials have the experience required for technical and football-development responsibilities.

The campaign has included legal action. In April, Jalla’s advocacy group took FIFA, the NFF and Monimichelle to court over an abandoned mini sports stadium project in Ugborodo, Delta State. The case raises allegations concerning FIFA development funds and the project’s management. Jalla has previously challenged the NFF’s composition and voting arrangements, and now says the approaching election represents a decisive point for Nigerian football.