Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau and several other members of the federation’s executive committee have resigned amid growing pressure over the management of Nigerian football.
The NFF leadership had faced increasing scrutiny following a series of disappointing results and administrative challenges, with the latest setback being the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in the history of the competition.
Vanguard reports that the NFF board had also come under the scrutiny of security agencies over the management of funds released by the Federal Government for the country’s national teams.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is reportedly examining the utilisation of the N17 billion intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to settle outstanding wages and bonuses owed to players and officials of the national teams.
An authoritative source told Vanguard that the DSS had requested documents relating to the funds released to the federation.
“It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released them,” the source said, dismissing concerns that the investigation amounted to a witch-hunt.
The probe comes amid wider concerns over the administration of Nigeria’s national teams, following a series of setbacks, including the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for successive FIFA World Cups and the Super Falcons’ historic failure to secure a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Falcons’ failure followed a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), ending their title defence and forcing them into a World Cup qualification playoff route.
Nigeria subsequently lost 2-1 to South Africa in the playoff, bringing an end to the country’s record of appearing at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.
Pressure mounts on NFF leadership
The NFF executive committee, led by Gusau, had reportedly faced calls to resign following the team’s poor performances and the departure of more than half of the board members.
Eight of the 13 members of the NFF board have allegedly resigned from their positions.
The latest departures could also affect the NFF election scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, as the federation faces a major leadership shake-up.