President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, and the federation’s General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, have resigned from their positions.
The development was announced on Thursday amid growing concerns over the recent poor performances of Nigeria’s national teams. Reports also indicate that members of the NFF Executive Committee have resigned.
Gusau’s resignation comes 34 days before the end of his four-year tenure. He was elected NFF President at the federation’s Annual General Assembly in Benin City, Edo State, on 30 September 2022.
Speaking on his decision, Gusau said he consulted his family, friends and football stakeholders before deciding to leave office. He said he had also informed members of the Executive Committee.
Gusau said the resignation was taken after careful consideration and in the best 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.”
At a press conference at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, Gusau, who also served as President of WAFU B, said he was leaving office satisfied with some of the achievements recorded during his tenure.
He highlighted the increased focus on coaching education, with coaching courses organised across several licence categories. He also noted that the long-awaited CAF A Licence course is scheduled to begin on 13 September.
Gusau also pointed to improvements in the domestic league calendar, progress in refereeing and the development of football facilities, including a 68-room Players’ Hostel and new training pitches at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
He further mentioned Nigeria’s silver and bronze medals at the last two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, as well as the Super Falcons’ WAFCON triumph in Morocco in 2025.
However, his administration has come under pressure following a series of disappointing results by some of the national teams.
The latest setback was the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. It ended Nigeria’s record of appearing at every edition of the tournament since its launch 35 years ago.
The development came after the Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Nigeria’s U20 men’s team also failed to qualify for next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, adding to the growing concerns over the state of the country’s football.
PHOTO: Gusau (left) announcing his resignation and that of the General Secretary at Thursday’s press conference.
