The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, and several members of the federation’s executive committee have resigned amid mounting pressure over the administration of Nigerian football.
The development comes as the NFF faces growing criticism over the declining fortunes of the country’s national teams, including Nigeria’s historic failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Sources familiar with the development said eight of the 13 members of the NFF board had allegedly resigned from their positions, leaving the federation facing a major leadership crisis.
The executive committee, led by Gusau, had reportedly been under intense pressure to step aside following a series of disappointing results and administrative controversies surrounding the national teams.
DSS Probes N17bn NFF Fund
The latest development also comes amid investigations by security agencies into the utilisation of funds released by the Federal Government to settle outstanding financial obligations to Nigeria’s national football teams.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is among the agencies examining the NFF’s handling of the N17 billion intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024.
The funds were released to address outstanding payments, including players’ wages, allowances and bonuses owed by the federation.
An authoritative source familiar with the investigation said the DSS had requested documentation from NFF officials to establish how the funds were utilised.
“It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released to them,” the source said, dismissing suggestions that the investigation was intended as a witch-hunt or an attempt to harass federation officials.
The investigation comes against the backdrop of growing public concern over the management and performance of Nigeria’s national football teams.
Super Falcons’ Historic World Cup Failure
Nigeria’s football crisis was further highlighted by the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Falcons, who had been a dominant force in African women’s football, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the quarter-final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The defeat ended Nigeria’s title defence and meant the Super Falcons could not secure automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
Nigeria subsequently entered the qualification playoff route, where the Super Falcons faced South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.
South Africa defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the decisive playoff, ending the country’s remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.
The failure marked the first time Nigeria’s senior women’s team would miss the global tournament.
The setback added to concerns over the state of Nigerian football, with the Super Eagles also having missed consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments.
NFF Board Under Pressure
The resignation of Gusau and other board members follows weeks of mounting pressure on the NFF executive committee to take responsibility for the setbacks affecting Nigerian football.
With more than half of the 13-member board reportedly having resigned, questions have now emerged over the future of the federation’s leadership and its planned electoral process.
The NFF had scheduled its next elections for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
However, the mass resignation of board members could affect the planned elections and create uncertainty over the immediate leadership structure of the federation.
The latest development is expected to intensify calls for greater accountability and transparency in the administration of Nigerian football, particularly regarding the management of public funds and the performance of the country’s national teams.
