On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the football fraternity in Nigeria was thrown into another round of mourning following the sudden passing of Pa Ibrahim Galadima, a fine gentleman who lived all his life serving the round leather game. He didn’t only serve football. He made immense contributions in extraordinary ways. One thing that stood him out was his uncompromising integrity and commitment to meritocracy in sports governance.
Talking about his integrity and incorruptibility, Galadima was the first and still the only Nigerian sports administrator who refunded money to government coffers after an international tournament. This rare incident of transparency and accountability is well known in Nigerian sports circles. He was the head of the Kano Centre during the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Championship and reportedly returned all unspent funds to the federal government. That was widely reported, and nobody has come out to deny that uncommon display of integrity and accountability.
Apart from his fiscal prudence, which stood him out among his contemporaries, Alhaji Galadima was known for being remarkably unassuming. Although a decent man in appearance and character, he didn’t live a flamboyant lifestyle. No wonder, despite his status, he preferred to live all his life in his community. He successfully balanced his modern sports career with deep roots in his community as the Galadiman Fagge, a prestigious traditional title in Kano.
Another thing worthy of note about the life of Galadima was his realistic nature and bluntness, especially when it had to do with getting results in sports. He famously made a controversial remark after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, stating that the ticket wasn’t a ‘birthright.’ While it angered many at the time, it only showed he was a fearless, upright and realistic man by nature.
When I had the opportunity to interview him in his house in Fagge, I asked if he actually made that controversial statement. He confidently repeated the ‘offensive’ remark, and I reported accordingly. Heavens didn’t fall even as it kind of reopened old wounds.
Indeed, Galadima was the face of sports, especially football, in Kano State. Before he served as Chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association from 2002 to 2006, he had served meritoriously as Chairman of Kano State Football Association, Executive Chairman of the Kano State Sports Council, 1st vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee, member of the Presidential Monitoring Committee for Stadia Development for the FIFA World Youth Championship, and as Commissioner for Social Welfare, Youth and Sports in Kano State. He was also the founder of Kano Pillars football club.
It was, therefore, not surprising that he became an encyclopedia of sports in Kano State and Nigeria in general. Highly respected and revered in sports circles, his house in Fagge, a sprawling community in Kano, became a ‘temple’ for young sports administrators who visited him regularly to tap from his fountain of knowledge and experience. That was why many of the new generation sports administrators idolized and referred to Galadima as their mentor even as they consistently refused to imbibe the virtues that made him an uncommon leader.
Sadly, our mentor is gone, but the history of sports and football in particular, in Kano State, and Nigeria in general would remain incomplete without a mention of his name. Therefore, the good legacies he left behind after decades of unwavering dedication and selfless contributions to sports in Kano and Nigeria must not be forgotten.
One thing that gladdened the hearts of his followers was the solemn pledge by the Kano State government to immortalise him. The Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, who spoke during Galadima’s funeral on behalf of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, hinted that the iconic sports figure would be immortalised in a special way. That was a moment of deep reflection and acknowledgement of the invaluable contributions of the Galadiman Fagge to sports development in the state.
Even as Nigerian politicians are known for grandstanding and bogus promises that are usually abandoned as quickly as they are made, most of us are praying fervently for the Kano State Government to act fast to immortalise this extraordinary sports administrator.
I learnt from a credible source in Kano that even as he became less active due to his fragile health, the government was planning to saddle Galadima with a responsibility to draw another blueprint for sports development in the state. He was always the one to fix sports in Kano because, apart from his proven integrity and deep understanding of administration, he was courageous enough to make hard decisions.
While we wait for the Kano state government to redeem its pledge to immortalise Galadima, I have decided to offer these unsolicited suggestions borne out of my love for the state and the man who deserves to be remembered forever. Nothing should be too much as we seek to confer ‘immortality’on the father of sports in Kano State. Therefore, the state should first consider renaming after him a major sports facility, such as a stand at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano or the Kano Institute for Sports. It would be a befitting recognition for his enormous contributions to sports in the state.
A sports management foundation could be established in his name. Such a foundation could offer scholarships or training for aspiring sports administrators, reflecting his reputation as a mentor and father figure in the industry.
Institutionalising an annual lecture on integrity in sports administration or a youth football tournament in Kano would keep his principles and passion alive. Through the Ramat Cup – a grassroots football tournament – the name of one of Nigeria’s most admired former leaders, Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, is immortalised. The same thing should be done in honour of Galadima, who personified sports.
Since he was also a revered leader of the Fagge community, the Kano State government should consider establishing or naming a landmark or community centre in Kano in his honour to celebrate his transition from sports to traditional leadership.
Galadima’s unflinching support to sports was felt beyond his state to the national level. The national assignments he performed creditably are well documented. Therefore, while he held the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) for rendering meritorious services to the country, a higher posthumous award could be considered by the Federal Government to reflect the breadth of his service. He was indeed a national figure whose image loomed large over the entire Nigerian sports ecosystem.
So, to conclude this tribute to my mentor – a man who was above reproach in many ways, let me remind the people and government of kano state that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Whatever is delaying the eagerly awaited immortalisation of Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima should be stopped immediately for the good intentions of the government of Kano state to manifest for all to see. Our mentor of inestimable value must not end like another prophet without honour at home.