ABUJA, Nigeria — Ibrahim Musa Gusau has resigned as president of the Nigeria Football Federation, bringing an abrupt end to his four year leadership of the country’s football governing body as pressure mounted over poor national team results and questions surrounding the federation’s administration.
Gusau confirmed his resignation Thursday during a news conference in Abuja after hours of speculation over his future. His departure comes as several members of the NFF Executive Committee are also reported to have stepped down, creating uncertainty over who will oversee Nigerian football ahead of federation elections scheduled for September.
NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi was also reported to have resigned. “Yes, the news about the resignation of the president and myself is true,” Sanusi said when asked about the leadership shakeup. Reports indicate that as many as eight members of the 13 member Executive Committee have left or indicated plans to leave, although the federation had not publicly confirmed every individual resignation.
The upheaval follows one of the most difficult periods in recent Nigerian football history. The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons missed qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, the first time Nigeria’s women will be absent from the tournament since its inaugural edition in 1991.
The Super Falcons’ failure added significantly to public frustration. Their attempt to defend the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title ended with a quarterfinal defeat to Cameroon before South Africa eliminated Nigeria from the World Cup qualification process. The NFF later apologized to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians over the team’s performance.
Facing growing criticism, Gusau established a fact finding committee this month to examine the reasons behind the poor performances of Nigeria’s national teams. At the committee’s inauguration, he instructed members to investigate the “direct and remote causes” of the setbacks and recommend solutions.
The committee’s findings added another layer to the controversy. According to reporting on the document, it raised allegations that some officials may have influenced national team player invitations and that some decisions could have been affected by financial interests. Those allegations have not been established in court, and individuals mentioned broadly in the report have not necessarily been accused of criminal wrongdoing.
Questions have also emerged over the financial administration of the federation. Security agencies have reportedly examined how a 17 billion naira federal intervention approved in 2024 was used to settle outstanding wages, bonuses and other obligations involving Nigeria’s national teams. A source familiar with the review described scrutiny of the documents as a normal examination of government funds.
Gusau was elected NFF president in September 2022, succeeding Amaju Pinnick, who had led the federation for eight years. A former chairman of the Zamfara State Football Association, Gusau won a rerun ballot with 39 votes and entered office promising improvements in grassroots development, coaching, domestic competitions and national team performance.
His tenure had been due to end on Sept. 29, 2026. The NFF had already scheduled an elective congress for Sept. 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where a new Executive Committee was expected to be chosen for another four year term. The wave of resignations now raises questions about how the transition and electoral process will be managed.
Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most passionate football nations, with three men’s Africa Cup of Nations titles and a women’s team that has historically dominated the continent. But repeated qualification failures, administrative disputes and public complaints over the management of the game have fueled demands for deeper reforms at the NFF.
Gusau’s departure may end one chapter of that debate, but it leaves Nigerian football facing an immediate leadership challenge. Attention will now turn to the federation’s next steps, the fate of the September election and whether a change at the top can restore confidence among players, supporters and other stakeholders.
