The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has entered a period of transition following the resignation of President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee.
In the immediate aftermath of the leadership shake-up, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has approved Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the federation’s erstwhile Deputy General Secretary, to oversee the NFF Secretariat as interim General Secretary.
Dr Ademola Olajire, who previously served as Director of Media and Communications, has also been appointed interim Deputy General Secretary as the authorities move to maintain stability within the federation.
The development comes with a major change to the NFF’s electoral calendar, as all processes leading to the elective congress scheduled for September 27 have been suspended.
Rather than proceeding with the planned elections, a fresh electoral process will be introduced after a comprehensive reform programme has been completed.
The reforms are expected to be carried out in consultation with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), alongside the Federal Government and other key stakeholders in Nigerian football.
The transition will also affect the administration of the country’s major domestic leagues.
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 running of their respective competitions to their Chief Operating Officers (COOs).
Where a league’s COO is not an NFF staff member, the acting General Secretary will be expected to appoint a new COO from within the federation.
According to the NSC, the interim measures are designed to prevent disruption to the administration of Nigerian football while consultations continue over the proposed reforms.
The federation is expected to engage FIFA, CAF, government representatives and other football stakeholders in developing a roadmap for the restructuring of the NFF and determining the next steps towards a new electoral process.
