Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau and other members of the federation’s board have resigned amid mounting pressure over the administration of Nigerian football.
The development follows growing criticism of the NFF’s handling of the country’s national teams and the latest setback involving the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The NFF board had reportedly come under increasing scrutiny from security agencies over the management and utilisation of funds released by the Federal Government to settle outstanding financial obligations to the national teams.
DSS probes N17bn intervention fund
The Department of State Services (DSS) has joined other security agencies in investigating the utilisation of a N17 billion Federal Government intervention fund released to the NFF for players’ wages and bonuses.
The fund was approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to clear outstanding payments owed to members of Nigeria’s national football teams.
A source quoted by Vanguard on Monday said the DSS had requested documentation from NFF officials to account for the use of the funds.
“It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released to them,” the source said, dismissing suggestions that the exercise amounted to a witch-hunt.
The investigation comes amid renewed concerns over the management of Nigerian football, with the country’s national teams experiencing a series of disappointing results in recent years.
The Super Eagles have failed to qualify for consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments, while the Super Falcons recently suffered the historic setback of missing out on the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition began in 1991.
Nigeria’s hopes of securing a place at the 2027 tournament were dented after the Super Falcons lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), ending their title defence and ruling out automatic qualification through the tournament.
The Falcons subsequently entered the World Cup qualifying play-off route, where they faced South Africa.
South Africa’s Banyana Banyana defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the decisive play-off, securing qualification and ending the Super Falcons’ uninterrupted run at the Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria had featured in every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1991.
The failure to qualify for the 2027 competition therefore represents the first time the nine-time African champions will be absent from the global tournament.
The resignation of Gusau and other board members now leaves the NFF facing a major leadership transition as Nigerian football grapples with financial, administrative and sporting challenges.
