Nigeria’s football governing body has been placed under an interim leadership arrangement following the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, general secretary and members of its executive committee.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau announced his decision to leave office at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, barely 33 days before the expiration of his tenure. Gusau said his decision followed consultations with his family, friends and other stakeholders.
Gusau, who assumed office after his election in September 2022, had come under increasing pressure over the fortunes of Nigeria’s national teams and youth sides. Although he was widely expected to seek another term in office, concerns over results and the overall direction of Nigerian football continued to trail his administration.
The federation has also faced criticism over issues relating to its administration and management of finances, while the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the last two FIFA World Cups further heightened public dissatisfaction with the state of the game.
Following the mass resignation, President Bola Tinubu directed that a broad reform process be carried out to address what he described as the persistent shortcomings in Nigerian football. Emmanuel Ikpeme, a former deputy general secretary of the federation, will serve as interim general secretary, while Ademola Olajire has been named interim deputy general secretary.
Meanwhile, the NFF elections earlier scheduled for September 27 have been put on hold. The federation said a new electoral process would begin after the proposed reforms have been concluded, with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football expected to be involved in consultations surrounding the reforms.
