Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau and members of the federation’s executive board have resigned following mounting pressure over the management of Nigerian football and ongoing investigations into the federation’s finances.
The development comes as the Department of State Services (DSS) intensifies its probe into the utilisation of a N17 billion Federal Government intervention fund released to the NFF for the payment of salaries, wages and bonuses owed to national team players and officials.
Sources familiar with the matter said the resignations followed growing concerns over the state of Nigerian football, with the federation facing criticism after a series of disappointing results by the country’s national teams.
The DSS is reportedly examining records relating to the intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to settle outstanding financial obligations owed to Nigeria’s national teams.
An authoritative source said, “It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released them,” dismissing suggestions that the exercise was targeted at specific officials.
The latest scrutiny comes against the backdrop of public concern over the performance of Nigeria’s football administration and the handling of resources allocated to the sport.
Pressure on the NFF leadership increased after Nigeria’s Super Falcons failed to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, marking the first time the country will miss the tournament since its inception in 1991.
The Falcons’ qualification hopes suffered a major setback after their defeat to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations before losing a World Cup playoff match against South Africa.
Sources also indicated that more than half of the federation’s board members had already stepped down before the latest resignations, further weakening the administration’s position.
Reports suggest that eight of the 13 members of the NFF board had vacated their positions amid the crisis.
The mass resignation has raised uncertainty over the federation’s planned elections scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Football stakeholders are now awaiting further decisions on the future leadership of the NFF as investigations and administrative changes continue.
