Governing Bodies
Nigeria leans on project manager Ifeanyi Okowa for 21st National Sports Festival
BY CHIDO NWAKANMA
“Asaba 2022 will be the best in terms of infrastructure and others that will be in place in the next few months. We have the personnel to stage a fun-filled and friendly sports festival from the beginning to the end”.
Host governor Dr Ifeanyi Okowa pledged in 2021 to deliver to Nigeria a superlative National Sports Festival as the Federal Ministry of Sports awarded the hosting rights to the twenty-first national sports festival to Asaba, the Delta State capital. There is excitement in the sports community as they look forward to a positive manifestation of the words of Ifeanyi Okowa.
High expectations follow the prospects of Asaba 2022 running from 2 through 15 November 2022. Those expectations rely on the tried and tested Human Capacity management principle that past performance is a predictor of potential. The other expression is “the taste of the pudding is in the eating”.
The sports community has tasted and tested Okowa’s capacity in sports policy and administration. Plaudits attend each one. He walks in what persons in communication recognize as above-the-line, below-the-line and through the line within sports.
Okowa is a sports lover and patriot who intervened many times to save Nigeria blushes when it wavered on the hosting of the African Athletics Meet in 2018. Our country pledged to host, then began fumbling and wombling, as Coach Fanny Amun famously described dithering. Okowa stepped to the rescue.
Before and after that, Okowa is one governor who rallies to the national call for the training and equipping of our sports team. He took on the task of grooming twelve athletes for the Tokyo Olympics. Two did very well, including Ese Brume of Delta State.
These below-the-line building efforts hardly cut ice with the skeptical public nowadays. Nigerians have become like the biblical Thomas insistent on seeing and touching. Okowa offers a grand edifice for such persons to see.
The Stephen Keshi Stadium Asaba is a testimony and testament to the project management acumen of Ifeanyi Okowa. He converted a dream of Delta State for 17 years into the reality of a stadium that serves the local, national, and international sports community. Yes, building of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba took 17 years until a determined Okowa broke the jinx.
By delivering the stadium, Okowa saved Nigeria embarrassment. The country then hosted the African Senior Athletics Championships, Asaba 2018, from 1-5 August 2018. It was a masterclass in project management.
First, several hiccups hit the first few days of the competition. Critics went to town to excoriate the governor, the Local Organising Committee, Delta State government.
Logistics management suffered under the management of the National Sports Commission. Athletes screamed. The media amplified it, and columnists on print and online went to town.
There were critical glitches at the commencement with flight connections for athletes. The Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, engaged chartered flights to solve the problem, though it was not the remit of the State Government to handle that aspect of the logistics. At the end of the competition, there were no further incidents with flights or accommodation with the State Government taking charge. Indeed, by the time the games commenced, the initial disappointment caused by the airport delay had become a distant memory. Instantly, some of the athletes and visiting journalists changed their tune. For instance, Wesley Botton, one of the journalists, tweeted: “After a horribly wobbly start, the Local Organising Committee pulled through today at the African Championship.”
Fifty-two countries participated in Asaba 2018. It was five more countries than at the previous tournament. Eight hundred athletes in attendance created a tournament record. Events in contest increased from 44 to 46.
Stephen Keshi Stadium boasted luxurious new tracks that passed the certification tests of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and the Confederation of African Athletics weeks before the games commenced. Asaba 2018 complied with all rules guiding international athletic championships.
Stephen Keshi Stadium is currently one of the few stadia in Nigeria with fully covered stands. It has high-quality warm-up tracks, equipment, and facilities. The stadium that Ifeanyi Okowa built in Asaba is now part of the sporting, cultural and entertainment landmarks, and calendar of Asaba and Delta State.
Now you see why Sports Minister Sunday Dare and the folks in the sports community enthuse about Asaba 2022. Governor Okowa and his team have already promised to deliver a first-rate Games Village and other infrastructure. Work is ongoing.
When a project matters, Nigeria turns to a tested project manager called Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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