The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has confirmed his resignation from office, bringing his four-year tenure to an end amid mounting pressure over the state of Nigerian football.
Mr Gusau announced his decision at a world press conference at the NFF headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, 27 August, following weeks of reports that he and several members of the federation’s Executive Committee had been coerced to step down.
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He said the decision followed extensive pressure from football stakeholders and consultations with his family, friends and other stakeholders.
“Because of that, there was so much clamour from here and there, from all stakeholders, everybody,” Mr Gusau said.
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“And we knew it was important to see that at least nobody is better than us. And we all love our country, and we all love the progress of our country.”
The NFF president said the circumstances surrounding the crisis forced him and those close to him to reflect on the situation before arriving at the decision.
“We made a lot of presentations with family, friends, stakeholders, and all,” he said.
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“And I just want to tell you, I decided to resign my position as President,” he added.
Mr Gusau said he subsequently informed and advised members of his board about his decision.
“I then advised my board members, I informed them, and I advised them,” he said.
However, he said he was unable to provide details about the individual positions of members of the Executive Committee or the state of communications within the federation.
Mr Gusau added that communication between him and some of the federation’s structures had broken down.
“I’m not communicating with the board; they are not communicating to me. I’m not communicating to the other assembly,” he said.
His resignation comes at the end of a turbulent period for Nigerian football, with the NFF under intense scrutiny following a series of disappointing results by the country’s senior national teams.
The immediate pressure intensified after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup — the first time Nigeria will miss the tournament since its inception in 1991.
The Falcons entered the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as defending champions but lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals, ending their title defence and their automatic qualification route to the World Cup.
Nigeria subsequently lost 2-1 to South Africa in the qualification play-off, effectively ending the country’s hopes of appearing at the 2027 tournament.
The NFF apologised to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians following the setback and constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate the reasons behind the national team’s poor performance.
The Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup had already placed the NFF leadership under significant pressure, with Nigeria missing the tournament for the second consecutive edition.
Financial scrutiny
The leadership crisis also unfolded against the backdrop of scrutiny of the federation’s handling of government funds, with the EFCC, ICPC and the State Security Services (SSS) reportedly examining the utilisation of a N17 billion federal government intervention fund approved for the NFF.
Uncertainty over NFF election
Mr Gusau’s resignation also comes barely a month before the NFF’s scheduled elective congress in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The election is scheduled for 27 September and was expected to produce the federation’s next leadership after Gusau’s tenure.
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However, reports that several members of the 13-member Executive Committee had also resigned have raised questions about the administration of the federation and the status of the electoral process.
Mr Gusau was elected NFF president in September 2022, succeeding Amaju Pinnick, after securing 39 votes against Peterside Idah’s one in the decisive round of the election.
His administration recorded notable successes, particularly the Super Falcons’ 2025 WAFCON triumph, Nigeria’s record-extending 10th continental title.
But his tenure ultimately became overshadowed by the failure of both senior national teams to reach their respective World Cups, growing questions about the administration of Nigerian football and increasing demands for accountability.
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