The president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, and several members of the federation’s executive committee have resigned amid mounting pressure over the management of Nigerian football.
The resignations come as the NFF faces growing scrutiny over the country’s recent failures on the international stage, including Nigeria’s historic failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
According to the report, eight of the 13 members of the NFF board have allegedly stepped down from their positions, potentially throwing the federation’s leadership and its planned elections into uncertainty.
The NFF has come under intense pressure following a series of disappointing results involving Nigeria’s national teams.
The latest setback came when the Super Falcons lost 2-1 to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in a Women’s World Cup qualification playoff after failing to secure automatic qualification.
Nigeria had participated in every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.
The Falcons’ failure to reach the 2027 tournament therefore represents a major setback for the country’s most successful women’s football side.
The crisis has also been linked to investigations into the management of funds released by the federal government for Nigeria’s national teams.
Guardian reported that the Department of State Services had begun examining the use of a N17 billion intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to settle outstanding wages, bonuses and other payments owed to national team players.
An unnamed source quoted by the newspaper said the DSS was examining documents relating to the funds, describing the process as a routine investigation rather than a witch-hunt.
“It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released,” the source was quoted as saying.
The reported investigation comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns over the administration and financing of Nigerian football.
The Super Eagles have also failed to qualify for successive editions of the FIFA World Cup, adding to pressure on the football federation’s leadership.
The NFF executive committee, headed by Gusau, had reportedly faced calls to resign as criticism intensified over the federation’s performance.
The departure of more than half of the 13-member board could have wider implications for the federation, particularly its scheduled September 27 elections in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The reported resignations also follow other recent developments within the federation, including the resignation of former NFF fact-finding committee chairman Fanny Amun.
The NFF has yet to publicly clarify the full extent of the reported resignations or announce what arrangements will be made to manage the federation pending the outcome of the crisis.
