Former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins believes Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, can help improve Nigerian football if he decides to get involved.
Martins shared this during a podcast with former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel and Chris Chardy in May 2026 in Lagos. The podcast resurfaced on social media on Monday.
When Mikel asked about the challenges facing the Nigerian national team and if the problems go beyond the players, Martins said the country needs a young person who understands football and its systems to help improve the game.
“I mean, it’s always been like that, you know, so we just need someone that, you know, that can help.
“You know, someone, you know, a young person that understands the game, that understands the system, that can help us. And I, and I think Seyi Tinubu can do that too.
“You know, he understands, he’s young and he understands what Nigerian people want. You know, I think he can change that.”
Mikel then asked, “Seyi Tinubu?”
Martins replied, “He can change that.”
When Mikel clarified, “The president’s son?”, Martins confirmed, “Yeah, he can change that.”
Martins explained that Seyi Tinubu could still contribute even though he is not the President.
“If he wants to, he can. I mean he is not the president, but he is making an effort,” he said.
The former Newcastle United striker also talked about the challenges he faced while competing for goals and places in the Super Eagles during his career.
“It wasn’t easy that way because we have like Yakubu, we have Aghahowa as well, we have, there’s a lot of players, even Mikel wants to score goals too. Yeah. Everyone wants to score.
“Yeah. You know, everyone wants to play well, you know, so it was difficult.”
The conversation also touched on the management of Nigerian football. Mikel stated that the problems affecting the national team start from the leadership of the sport.
“I’ve always said for me, it’s from the top. When the top is not running properly, then it affects everything that happens on the pitch,” Mikel said.
He criticized the Nigeria Football Federation, saying, “I’ve always said it, and I keep saying it, that the people that are running our game today, the NFF, they’re the ones destroying our game.”
Mikel also remembered some of the issues players faced during his playing days, especially regarding funding and basic facilities.
“You know, during our time, the problems we have to go through, you know, in terms of money, in terms of the basic things that we need, sometimes wasn’t there.”
He pointed out that the national team should have better facilities, including a dedicated training ground and camp.
“And Nigerian national team should be better. You know, today we don’t have our own national stadium pitch where we train or national camp where we, when we come to play for the national team, we have a camp. We don’t have those basic things.
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