President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee have resigned following growing criticism over the performances of Nigeria’s national teams.
Gusau announced his resignation on Thursday, bringing his tenure to an end just 34 days before the expiration of his four-year term. He was elected NFF President at the federation’s elective congress in Benin City, Edo State, on September 30, 2022.
According to Gusau, the decision followed consultations with his family, friends and key football stakeholders and was taken in what he described as the overriding interest of Nigerian football.
“My resignation is intended to give way to a comprehensive and orderly reform process aimed at addressing the longstanding institutional, governance and developmental challenges confronting Nigerian football,” Gusau said.
Sanusi also resigned as General Secretary, while members of the NFF Executive Committee were reported to have followed suit in a mass departure from the federation.
Speaking at a press conference at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, Gusau said he was leaving with satisfaction over some of the achievements recorded under his administration.
The former WAFU B President listed improvements in coaching education, including courses across different licence categories and the CAF A-Licence programme scheduled to begin on September 13.
He also highlighted greater stability in the domestic league calendar, developments in refereeing and infrastructure projects, including a 68-room players’ hostel and new training pitches at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Gusau further pointed to the Super Eagles’ silver and bronze medals at the last two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the Super Falcons’ 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph in Morocco among the achievements of his administration.
However, a series of disappointing results by the national teams increased pressure on the NFF leadership.
The latest setback was the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup which was Nigeria’s first absence from the tournament since its inaugural edition in 1991.
That followed the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, while the national U20 men’s team also missed qualification for the next Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
The mass resignations bring an abrupt end to Gusau’s administration and clear the way for a transition in the leadership of Nigerian football.
