The National Sports Commission has endorsed Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the erstwhile Deputy General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, as interim General Secretary of the federation following the resignation of President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the Executive Committee.
The development is part of sweeping interim measures announced by the NFF on Thursday as the Federal Government moves to overhaul the administration of Nigerian football.
In a statement published on its official website, the NFF said, “Following Thursday’s resignations of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau as President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi as General Secretary, and members of the Executive Committee, the National Sports Commission has endorsed Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, until now Deputy General Secretary, to oversee the NFF Secretariat as interim General Secretary.”
The federation also announced the appointment of its Director of Media and Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire, as interim Deputy General Secretary.
According to the NFF, the suspension is not intended to be permanent, as a new electoral process will be launched after the completion of comprehensive reforms.
“A fresh electoral process will commence following the completion of the anticipated comprehensive reforms, to be undertaken in consultation with world football’s governing body, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement said.
Leagues also affected
The changes extend beyond the NFF secretariat, with the federation directing the leadership of Nigeria’s four major domestic league bodies to hand over their administrative responsibilities to their chief operating officers.
The NFF said, “Furthermore, the Chairmen, appointed Directors and Chief Executive Officers of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League and Nationwide League One have been directed to hand over the administration of their respective leagues to their Chief Operating Officers, who are members of staff of the NFF.”
It added that where a league’s COO is not an NFF staff member, the acting General Secretary would appoint a new COO from within the federation.
The NFF explained that the measures were designed to maintain the running of football while the reform process takes shape.
“These interim measures are intended to ensure continuity in the administration of Nigerian Football during the transition and pending conclusion of engagements with FIFA, CAF, Government and stakeholders to design a roadmap towards the comprehensive reforms envisaged for Nigeria football, and the next steps for activation,” the statement said.
The federation added, “These measures are intended to ensure continuity in the administration of Nigerian football during the transition. Further changes and directives will be communicated in due course.”
Gusau, Sanusi exit amid football crisis
The announcement came a day after Gusau and Sanusi resigned from their positions, with members of the NFF Executive Committee also reportedly stepping down.
The NFF, in a separate statement announcing the mass resignations, said the development followed “a groundswell of national disenchantment over recent dismal performances of the National Teams.”
Gusau, who was elected NFF president at the federation’s Annual General Assembly in Benin City, Edo State, on September 30, 2022, resigned with 34 days remaining on his four-year tenure.
The former NFF president said his decision followed consultations with his family, friends and stakeholders in the football community and was taken in the “overriding interest of Nigerian football.”
He said his resignation was intended “to give way to a comprehensive and orderly reform process aimed at addressing the longstanding institutional, governance and developmental challenges confronting Nigerian football.”
Why the NFF is being restructured
The leadership crisis followed a difficult period for Nigerian football.
As reported by The PUNCH, the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons recently suffered the historic setback of failing to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Falcons had also been eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Their subsequent 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the World Cup play-off ended Nigeria’s long-standing record of qualifying for every edition of the women’s World Cup.
The Newsmen had also reported that the NFF was facing scrutiny over its handling of a Federal Government intervention fund released in 2024, while a fact-finding committee report had raised allegations concerning the influence of board members and officials over national team invitations.
Against that backdrop, President Bola Tinubu directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football on Thursday.
In a statement published by the NFF, Tinubu said the reform must address “a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football.”
The President also said, “Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system.”
He directed the NSC chairman to work with the NFF Secretariat and football stakeholders to maintain essential administration while facilitating a broad reform process, including engagement with FIFA and CAF.