BY Alloy Chukwuemeka

The man Shehu Dikko that I have known over the years is a Seasoned Administrator of repute, and a Marketing guru from a successful private sector background.

An astute Football Administrator and passionate sportsman with a high level of charisma, intelligence, outspoken, exposed and ready to take risks.

He is a man with so much wisdom and exposure that he could work and interact with people of different backgrounds and flows accordingly without undue sentiments.

From a Muslim background in the ancient city of Zaria, the graduate of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, kaduna has grown to become a guru in Football Administration, both locally and at the international scenes.

Many of us who are very close to him always mistake his calmness and thoroughness as a delay- in -action flaw, but he is a man who takes his time to intelligently understudy events before making informed decisions.

Though no human being is perfect, but the likes of Shehu Dikko can perfectly turn around any situation and positively influence a system to work well.

Since his assumption of office as the CEO of the LMC after playing a vital role to midwife the creation of the League Management Company (LMC), Dikko worked closely with the then Chairman, Hon. Nduka Irabor to unbundle the commercial inflows of the NPFL.

As the CEO of the LMC, he was in the forefront of attracting a lot of sponsorship deals like Supersport, FIRS, 1-XBET, and recently Bet9ja, Hero Beer, Bitnob and etc, now under his leadership as the Chairman of the LMC.

As the CEO of the LMC, he was instrumental to the NPFL-LaLiga partnership which took football stakeholders and NPFL All Stars team to Spain, for Grade A soccer tournaments, Capacity Building for Administrators and etc.

The partnership also culminated to the NPFL- LaLiga Technical Partnership for training of local coaches as well as the yearly NPFL- Laliga U-15 Promises championship, for youth development.

Despite the negative actions of some toxic elements and football critics who work negatively against the system to frustrate and discourage some of the potential investors in the League, Dikko painstakingly floated the NPFL-TV, which attracted commendation from both within and outside the shores of the country.

His uncommon transformation to the Domestic League NPFL attracted international recognition when he was invited to join other Leagues across the world to become a pioneer member of the World Leagues Forum.

He is also a member of CAF and FIFA Committees, aside being a recipient of the prestigious ‘The Sun Sports Man of the Year’ award, amongst others.

Malam Shehu Dikko is currently the 2nd Vice President of the NFF and Chairman, Strategic Studies Committee with great knowledge, contacts and diplomatic exposure to revamp the Nigeria Football system and take the country’s football to greater heights.

In 2014, the entire football stakeholders in Nigeria unanimously tipped him to become the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, but power play and political intrigues stopped him amidst victimization and humiliations.

Despite that denial, he humbled himself and joined the present day NFF leadership, working together with total loyalty, dedication and commitment in the interest of the game.

Today, time has beckoned on him to come and take the mantle that was taken away from him, to fulfill God’s design and destiny, to take Nigeria Football to the Promised Land.

Alloy Chukwuemeka writes from Baba-Ode, in Ilorin, Kwara State.

  Alloy Chukwuemeka, Chief Alloy Chukwuemeka, LMC, NFF, NPFL