The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has approved the appointment of a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) pending fresh elections into its executive committee.
The NFF disclosed this in a statement issued by its Communications Department, stating that the Bureau of the FIFA Council had approved the committee’s appointment.
According to a letter from FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström addressed to Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the committee’s members will be jointly appointed by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
“The normalisation committee shall consist of a suitable number of members, who will be appointed jointly by FIFA and CAF as soon as possible,” the letter stated.
FIFA said the committee would remain in office until it completed its assigned responsibilities, with 31 May 2027 set as the latest date for its tenure to end.
“The period during which the normalisation committee shall perform its functions shall expire as soon as it has fulfilled all of its tasks, but by no later than 31 May 2027,” the letter added.
The world football governing body also ruled that members of the committee would not be eligible to contest any positions in the forthcoming NFF elections.
“None of the members of the normalisation committee will be eligible for the positions to be filled during the upcoming NFF elections under any circumstances,” it said.
Until the committee is appointed, the NFF secretariat will continue to handle the federation’s day-to-day administration and oversee the running of Nigerian football.
The development follows a leadership crisis at the NFF after President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and other members of the federation’s executive committee resigned on 27 August 2026.
The resignations came amid mounting criticism over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The mass departures created a leadership vacuum and disrupted preparations for the NFF elections, which had been scheduled for 27 September.
FIFA’s proposed normalisation committee is expected to oversee the federation’s affairs until its assigned tasks are completed and fresh elections are conducted, in line with the deadline set by the world governing body.
