Nigeria’s football administration is facing a major shake-up, with President Bola Tinubu ordering a comprehensive reform of the sport following a wave of resignations at the top of the country’s football federation. The directive, announced on Thursday, comes just hours after the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, confirmed his resignation, alongside the federation’s general secretary, Muhammad Sanusi.
According to a statement from presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s decision is aimed at helping the country “overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments.” The president attributed these struggles to “structural weaknesses within the system,” noting that other sports have made meaningful progress since the re-establishment of the National Sports Commission (NSC).
What the Reform Is Meant to Address
In his directive, Tinubu outlined the core areas the reform must tackle. He said the process must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions, and accountability across Nigerian football. He described football as “Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention,” but noted that it has continued to struggle “basically due to structural deficits within the system.”
The president has tasked Shehu Dikko, chairman of the NSC, with working alongside the NFF secretariat to facilitate a broad, consultative reform process. Importantly, the directive also requires that the process involve appropriate engagement with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to protect Nigeria against sanctions for governmental interference—a standard concern in football governance, where political meddling can trigger penalties.
Resignations and Their Context
The presidential order follows the resignation of Ibrahim Gusau as NFF president and Muhammad Sanusi as general secretary. Gusau’s tenure, which began in 2022, was marked by a series of high-profile qualification failures. The senior men’s national team, the Super Eagles, failed to reach the 2026 World Cup despite Africa being allocated 10 slots for the first time. The senior women’s team, the Super Falcons, missed the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition’s inception in 1991. Age-grade teams also struggled, with the men’s U-17 and U-20 sides failing to qualify for their respective World Cups.
According to TheCable, the NFF leadership was pressured to step down after intervention from top federal government officials, from the NSC to the presidency. Gusau’s tenure was originally set to end next month, with an elective congress scheduled for September 27. However, the fate of that congress is now uncertain, with reports suggesting that a normalisation committee may be set up to oversee the federation’s affairs until further notice.
Why This Matters
This development is significant for several reasons. First, it signals a direct federal intervention in football governance, a move that carries both risks and opportunities. On one hand, the reform could bring much-needed accountability and structural improvements. On the other, the involvement of government in football administration is a sensitive area under FIFA rules, which is why the president’s directive explicitly calls for engagement with FIFA and CAF to avoid sanctions.
Second, the timing of the resignations—just weeks before a scheduled elective congress—raises questions about the immediate future of the NFF. If a normalisation committee is indeed established, it would temporarily replace the elected leadership, a step that has been used in other countries to manage crises but also one that can be controversial.
Third, the reform comes at a critical juncture for Nigerian football, with the national teams having underperformed on the international stage. The president’s emphasis on development pathways and domestic competitions suggests a focus on long-term structural fixes rather than quick results.
What Happens Next
As of now, the specifics of the reform process have not been fully detailed. The NSC chairman, Shehu Dikko, is expected to lead the consultative effort with the NFF secretariat. The involvement of FIFA and CAF will be crucial to ensure that the process is conducted within the framework of international football governance.
For Nigerian football fans, the coming weeks will be telling. The scheduled September 27 congress may be postponed or replaced by a normalisation committee, and the direction of the reform will depend on the consultations that follow. What is clear is that the status quo has been disrupted, and the pressure is now on to deliver a system that can produce consistent results on the pitch.
Source: Tinubu orders ‘comprehensive reform’ of Nigerian football after NFF shake-up