By Sedara Oluwadara
A strong personality and man of high principle, Ibrahim Galadima MFR has traversed all levels of Football and Sports Administration in Nigeria and was Chairman of the Nigerian Football Association for four years .
He was Chairman of the Kano State Football Association between 1977 and 1979, a period which saw rapid football development in the State.
As accomplished Community leader and Administrator, Galadima was Executive Chairman of the old Kano State Sports Council Board between 1981 and 1983.
To mention but a few, it was during this period ( 1981-1983 )that Nigeria first qualified for FIFA tournament ( The FIFA World Youth Championship in Mexico in 1983 ), won her first FIFA tournament ( The Inaugural FIFA U – 16 World Cup in China in 1985 ), won bronze and silver medals at the FIFA World Youth Championship ( 1985 and 1989 respectively )and first nursed an ambition to host the FIFA World Cup Championship.
An Honourable and diligent man without peer, Ibrahim Galadima was elected 1st Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee ( NOC ) in 1985, a position he held until 1987 before he was again made Chairman of the Kano State Sports Council.
He excelled in that position once more, and the Kano State Government deemed him to be appointed Commissioner for Social welfare, Youths and Sports in 1989. In 1990, he was made the commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport, supervising sports under the governor’s office.
A stickler for rules and regulations and transparent conduct, Ibrahim was appointed member of the presidential monitoring committee on stadia development for the Nigeria 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship ( FIFA moved the tournament at the last hour as a result of health issues ), and also served as member of CAF Youth competitions committee.In 1999, Galadima was Chairman of the Kano Sub – seat of the Nigeria 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. At the tournament, Kano State recorded the highest number of attendances at the stadium during matches.
Three years later, having proved himself everywhere and with spanking reputation for honesty and accountability, Ibrahim Galadima was elected Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association.
It was during his tenure that the Nigeria Football Association proposed and sent to world governing body, FIFA its working Statutes.
FIFA ratified the Statutes and the election into the executive Committee of the Nigeria FA in 2006 was conducted along the line of the Statutes.
The FA has also operated with the Statutes ever since.Ibrahim Galadima MFR also served as member , Presidential Committee on vision 2010 ( Sports ), member National Commission on Problems of Sports Development in Nigeria ( 2001 ) , Vice Patron of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Member of Board Trustees on Nigeria Sports Hall of Fame , Vice Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee on vision 20-2020 and Member of CAF Standing on legal Affairs and Players Statutes.
In 2019, Ibrahim Galadima MFR was Chairman of a special Committee set up by the Kano State Government to manage the campaign of Kano Pillars FC in a maiden appearance in the CAF Champions League.
The debutant Club eliminated much fancied Al-Ahly of Egpyt, Africa’s Club of the Century, to reach the Semi-Finals of the competition.
The current administration in the state created a Sports Commission and appointed him as Executive Chairman from 2016 to date.
Elevated to the position of Patron, Nigeria Olympic Committee and served as Chairman, Governing Council, National Institute of Sports from 2018-2022His recent National assignment was Chairman, 10 years Presidential Football Master Plan Committee as well as Acting Chairman of Kano Pillars FC
