SWAN President, Benjamin Isaiah Explains Challeges Faced in Sharing Traveling Slots to Members



President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN has reacted to allegations over the sharing of travelling slots given to the Body by both National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.


The Kogi born Media experts stated this while featuring in a popular WhatsApp group, *Sports World Platform* on Friday, 17th July, 2026 in a questions and answer session tagged Super Interview hosted by Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR) .

Critic within the executives and extended members across some state chapters have alleged the misused official traveling slots ,and such to them is tantamount to acting against association statutes.


Some opposing NEC members claimed Benjamin diverted travel opportunities intended for executives, while the same conspiracy theory was overtly circulated by state chapters across media space.  

Reacting, "I think this is just an allegstion because it's not absolute true. What I can confirm to you is that the National Sports Commission and the NFF sponsored journalists to the last AFCON. The National body got only 5 out of 26 slots to the last AFCON with conditions .It may interest you that  even some excos could not meet the requirements. 26 members were sponsored by the NSC, and out of these numbers,  5 slots were given to National SWAN,  and out of the 5 , only 2 made it, the other 3 were not given opportunity to make it.

Again,  NFF gave 2 lots to.Natiomal SWAN with conditions  of having FAN.ID, media acreditation and visa, and no Exco met this condition, and the National body gave the slots to members who met the condition.

Benjamin added that "I needed you to know or find out whether all these slots come through the National Body. I think this is the major challenge that we seem to have. This is one of the things I am trying to ser how I can correct. For me to be able to correct this anomaly, it will be requiring the support of all and sundry.Now, Administrators have a way of using what we call stick and carrot approach. We equally have this issue of some members fighting for themselves while the National body was fighting for the members.I can tell you for free that In the last AFCON in Morocco,  26 journalists were said to have been sponsored by the National Sports Commission but were these slots given to the National Body? No"

"The National body got only 5 slots and only 2 members were able to make it. The requirements were that the person must have media accreditation, fan ID, -visa.  It took me awhile to see 2 members of the excos to make it while members shared the remaining, But 26 of our body was sponsored but it was not officially given to the National body. Also, NFF gave us 2 but it was not through the National Body. Some of these members got the slots directly from the NSC and NFF but the blame come too harsh on us. I will work on it such that if they give us directly, we will know how to share it equally across state chapters

"Another challenge is that if they give the body 2 slots, how do we share it. Most time, when the National body is fighting for the entire members, some journalists will be fighting for their personal slot and this gives us a lot of challenges to address but we are working confidently to adress this anomaly". He assured

Isaiah Kemje Benjamin is a seasoned Nigerian journalist, media executive, and respected sports administrator with extensive experience in print journalism and sports reporting.

He built a distinguished career with Leadership Newspaper, where he served as the Bureau Chief for Kaduna State, overseeing news coverage, coordinating editorial activities, and reporting on major political, economic, and social developments in the region.

 His professionalism, commitment to ethical journalism, and dedication to factual reporting earned him recognition within the Nigerian media landscape.

Currently, Isaiah Kemje Benjamin serves as the Bureau Chief for Cabal Media Group in Kaduna, where he leads editorial operations, supervises news gathering, and provides strategic direction for comprehensive coverage of issues affecting Northern Nigeria and the nation at large.

Beyond journalism, Benjamin has made significant contributions to sports development through sports media administration. He is the National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), the umbrella body for sports journalists in the country. In this role, he champions professionalism in sports journalism, advocates for the welfare and capacity development of sports writers, and promotes the growth of sports through credible and responsible media coverage.

Throughout his career, Isaiah Kemje Benjamin has remained committed to excellence, integrity, and public service, earning the respect of colleagues, stakeholders, and the wider journalism community. 

His leadership in both mainstream journalism and sports media continues to shape public discourse and strengthen the practice of journalism in Nigeria.

Credit: Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR)

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