Nigerian Football Faces Major Shake-Up As FIFA Approves NFF Caretaker Committee

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has approved the establishment of a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ahead of fresh elections into its executive committee.

The decision was announced by the NFF Communications Department on Thursday, October 22, following approval by the Bureau of the FIFA Council.

In a letter signed by FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström and addressed to Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the world football governing body stated that the committee’s members would be appointed jointly by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

According to FIFA, the committee will comprise an appropriate number of members who will be selected as soon as possible. It will remain in office until it completes its assigned responsibilities, with May 31, 2027, set as the deadline for the end of its tenure.

FIFA also stipulated that members of the normalisation committee would not be eligible to contest any position in the forthcoming NFF elections, regardless of the circumstances.

Until FIFA and CAF complete the appointment process, the NFF secretariat will continue to manage the federation’s day-to-day administrative activities and oversee football operations in Nigeria.

The development comes amid a leadership crisis within the NFF, which reportedly escalated on August 27, 2026, following the resignation of President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and other executive committee members.

The resignations came amid criticism over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ reported failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The leadership changes created uncertainty within the federation and disrupted preparations for the NFF elections, which had been scheduled for September 27.

The proposed normalisation committee is expected to restore administrative stability, carry out its assigned duties and oversee arrangements for the election of a new NFF executive committee.

According to Bush Radio Academy, FIFA’s intervention is aimed at providing a temporary administrative framework for Nigerian football while the federation works towards electing new leadership.