Ibrahim Musa Gusau resigned as president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday, confirming earlier reports of his departure amid a deepening leadership crisis at the country’s football governing body.
Gusau announced his decision at a farewell address to staff at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, according to local media reports, with emotional scenes reported at the federation’s headquarters. Several members of the Executive Committee, including General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, were also reported to have stepped down.
The resignations came hours before an emergency meeting of the NFF Congress, convened in Abuja for 12 noon on Thursday. The gathering, called via an invitation signed by Yakubu Sarma on behalf of Congress members, described attendance as mandatory for state football association chairmen, club representatives, and delegates from the Referees Association, Coaches Association, Players Union and Nigeria Referees Association.
The proposed agenda listed five items: recent developments within the federation, the status and functioning of the Executive Committee and Secretariat, implications for the NFF’s governance and independence, consideration of measures under the statutes of the NFF, the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, and determination of a path forward.
The crisis follows a sustained run of disappointing results across Nigeria’s national teams. The Super Eagles have missed the last two FIFA World Cups, while the Super Falcons recently suffered what was described as a historic setback in failing to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria’s underage teams, including the U-17, U-20 and U-23 sides, have also struggled in recent international competitions.
The upheaval comes barely a month before the NFF’s scheduled elective congress, set for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, raising questions over how the federation will manage its leadership transition in the interim. Congress delegates were expected to address the resulting leadership vacuum and determine an interim governance arrangement pending the emergence of new leadership.
President Bola Tinubu has separately called for reform of Nigerian football administration following what he described as repeated failures by the national teams.
