Rivers State Commissioner for Sports and former NFF Technical Committee member, Barrister Chris Green, has attributed Nigeria’s stagnant sports development—particularly in football—to a persistent lack of capacity, competence, and proper education among key administrators.
Green made the remarks on Monday while speaking at the Sports Conference held in Lagos, tagged the Big Sports Dialogue 1.0.
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According to him, the nation continues to recycle individuals who lack both the knowledge and technical grounding required to run modern football. He noted that competence and capacity remain the most fundamental ingredients missing in the country’s sports management structure.
Green stressed that many individuals occupying sensitive football administrative roles do not possess the expertise they claim to have.
“Having played football does not automatically qualify anyone to manage or administer the sport,” he said, insisting that football governance demands deep technical understanding and continuous education.
He further compared Nigeria’s football administrative structure with that of countries like Morocco and South Africa, arguing that Nigeria lags far behind in both personnel strength and quality. “You don’t give what you don’t have,” he said, emphasising that development will remain stagnant until the right people are positioned to drive change.
To address these challenges, Green called for the sports space to be opened up to competent professionals.
“Government and football authorities need to create a more inclusive environment that allows skilled and knowledgeable individuals to contribute meaningfully.”
Green also highlighted the lack of proper coaching education, describing football as a dynamic sport that requires constant updating and adaptation.
He criticised the recurring practice of recycling the some coaches despite consistent failures, noting that doing the same thing repeatedly cannot produce different results.
Another critical issue he raised is the proliferation of unregulated football academies across Nigeria.
Green lamented that many of these academies operate without monitoring, proper screening, or adherence to standards, leading to the grooming of players in environments that do not support true development, especially within the crucial age categories.
He concluded that meaningful progress in Nigerian football and sports generally depends on embracing competence, professional education, and a fully reformed administrative framework that prioritises merit over politics.
