Former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, is dead. He passed away on Saturday afternoon in Kano after a brief illness.
Late Galadima was a highly respected Nigerian sports administrator who played a significant role in the development of football in the country. He served as Chairman of the NFA, now known as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) until 2005, when he was removed following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Beyond his leadership at the national level, Galadima contributed immensely to sports development in Kano State. He served as the Kano State Commissioner for Sports and later as Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, where he helped shape grassroots and elite sports programs.
He was also actively involved in international football administration. During the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship hosted by Nigeria, Galadima served as Chairman of the Kano sub-seat organizing committee.
In 2010, he was nominated by the NFA to replace Dr. Amos Adamu as Nigeria’s representative on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee.
Known for his reform-driven mindset, Galadima chaired a one-man reform committee set up by former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, aimed at restructuring football administration in Nigeria. He was a strong advocate for a self-sustaining football system driven by credible sponsorship, rather than over-reliance on government funding.
He also championed governance reforms that aligned Nigeria’s football administration with both FIFA statutes and the country’s legal framework.
Colleagues and associates have described him as an intelligent, humble, honest, and hardworking leader with deep knowledge and experience in football administration.
His death marks the end of an era in Nigerian football administration.
Further details about funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family.
