An aspirant in the forthcoming Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) Presidential Elections, David Doherty ,said yesterday in Lagos that he was ready to offer a bold and courageous leadership in order to ‘bring all parts of the game closer together and inspire the nation’ should he be voted into office later this month.
“Our national pastime, football can provide education, empowerment, and enjoyment, promoting health and well-being, and the power of teamwork,” Doherty, the CEO of the highly successful Team Nigeria UK, said at a media parley. “Our aim is to move the NFF and Nigerian football forward with bold leadership and ambitious targets in the next five years.
“Our vision is to bring all parts of the game closer together and to inspire the nation. We have a unique opportunity to unite all parts of our country, but also to reap the enormous social and economic benefits that is associated with the industry.
“We are ready to remind the nation of how football has the power as a force for good,” he noted.
Doherty said the coast is now clear for him to contest the election after endorsement by his Lagos State home FA as well as the football associations of Plateau, Edo and Anambra, adding his five-year master plan was conceptualized so that any succeeding board can continue with the template.
“ Of course, I’m aware of the four-year term but having a five-year plan gives room for any succeeding board to follow up with what we are going to do,” he said.
He said his ‘football forward’ masterplan which include accountability, infrastructural development, strong identity and capacity building, would address all facets of the game, adding he was ready to offer bold and courageous leadership to ensure a successful tenure.
“In overall terms, a strategic plan will set out our goals for delivering improvement in specific areas including players, clubs, leagues, facilities, international teams, organisation, grassroots and community programmes, women’s game and our domestic league,” he further said.
He continued: “The plan will be developed to reflect the views of the football community and the wider stakeholder base. The priorities agreed will encompass the inputs of those stakeholders into a coherent and ambitious plan for the game.
“This will hugely depend on a wide range of people and organisations to realise this plan and these relationships will also be key in the NFF ability to grow and develop the game of football over the next five years.”