Obafemi Martins Backs Seyi Tinubu To Become NFF President. Do You Agree?

1. 

   Tristan on September 3, 2026 6:04 pm

   The main contributions Seyi Tinubu can give is his access to the ears of the President, and his marketing and advertising experience. This access should not be underestimated, it means he can cut obstructionist bureaucratic elements at state and federal level that other people would not have the political weight or influence to impact.

   Nor should his marketing experience be downplayed, he is one of the most successful marketing and branding entrepreneurs in Nigeria. He brought digital advertising to Nigeria showing his innovative instincts. Meanwhile, Nigerian football still uses pitch-side static advertising boards. He is also a trained lawyer with an LLB and LLM.

   No single individual can fix Nigerian football. True modernization requires a specialized task force that bridges the gaps between sports finance, commercial marketing, and deep institutional knowledge of both local and international sports ecosystems. Only such a team-based combined specialized expertise can drive systemic change.
   So, I’m not saying he should be NFF President, but if he is interested in football, his influence as a board, taskforce or committee member can be crucial in ensuring change is not ignored or sabotaged by salaried bureaucrats.

   It is time to stop packing the NFF with people who only understand what happens on the pitch. No single saviour can fix Nigerian football. We need a multidisciplinary coalition or task force. Football is a massive global enterprise that requires specialist skills – ranging from sports science and advanced data analytics to international branding, advertising, and high-level corporate finance.

   The true crisis lies in the administration. Nigeria’s local league is completely abandoned by fans, while millions of us export our attention and money to support teams like Arsenal.
   Because of this, grassroots player development is a predatory “basket of crabs.” Without centralized structures, young players must survive on self-made regimes while desperately trying to catch the eye of European scouts. This chaos inevitably leads to the brutal exploitation and commodification of our talent.

   If we want real change, we must address two foundational issues:
   Commercialise the Local League: Transform it into an attractive, broadcast-worthy arena for domestic viewers.
   Institutionalise Grassroots Academies: Create structured pathways to protect and develop young talent.

   Unfortunately, our football administration has fossilised into a state-funded model run by inept political office-seekers. These bureaucrats possess neither the technical knowledge nor the interest in the sport beyond personal pecuniary gain.

   So while global football advances through sports science, data analytics, and modern marketing, every single penny of state funding advanced to Nigerian football is consumed by a bloated bureaucracy that exists purely for its own sake.
   In short, we are funding a corrupt corporate office, not football and the only way to get the corrupt bagholders out of football is to move to a different commercial funding model.

   This bureaucracy is also deaf to innovation, while other countries have stadiums without running tracks for football, that enhances the fan’s experience, with digital advertising, Nigeria persists with building running tracks in its stadia that are almost always unused, and still has 1980s static advertising boards. In short, the look of Nigeria’s domestic football is unattractive.

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2. 

   Papafem on September 4, 2026 5:09 am

   Seyi’s presidency can open NFF to corporate sponsorship, unrestricted access to Aso Rock, and proper visibility of Nigerian football. But if he mishaves like Gusau, who will force him to resign?

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