CITIZENS COMPASS— Mass resignation has hit the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau as the President, Ibrahim Gusau, and several members of the federation’s executive committee have reportedly resigned from their positions.
This came amid growing pressure on the NFF over the management of the country’s national teams and a series of disappointing results.
The latest setback was the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, bringing an end to Nigeria’s record of appearing at every edition of the tournament since it began in 1991.
The NFF leadership has also come under the watch of security agencies over the utilisation of a N17 billion intervention fund released by the Federal Government for outstanding wages and bonuses owed to players and officials of the national teams.
The funds were approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2024 to settle outstanding payments involving Nigeria’s national football teams.
According to reports, the Department of State Services (DSS) has asked NFF officials to provide documents and records showing how the money was utilised.
The investigation comes against the backdrop of increasing concerns over the administration of Nigerian football and the financial management of the national teams.
The NFF has faced particularly intense criticism following the Super Falcons’ failure to secure a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Nigeria’s title defence at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) ended after a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
The result meant the Falcons had to go through a playoff route for World Cup qualification.
They eventually lost 2-1 to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the decisive playoff, ending Nigeria’s unprecedented run of qualifying for every Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.
The setback added to concerns over the state of Nigerian football, with the Super Eagles also having endured major difficulties in their recent World Cup qualification campaigns.
The NFF executive committee headed by Gusau had reportedly been under increasing pressure to resign following the string of setbacks.
Reports indicate that more than half of the 13-member NFF board have now left their positions, with eight members allegedly having resigned.
Gusau’s reported resignation alongside the other departures could throw the federation’s leadership structure into uncertainty and potentially affect the NFF’s scheduled elections.
The next election into the NFF board is currently slated for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
It remains to be seen how the latest resignations will affect the planned election and the administration of Nigerian football in the coming weeks.
—GWG
