President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, and several members of the federation’s executive committee have resigned from their positions amid mounting pressure over the administration of Nigerian football.

The development follows growing criticism of the NFF board over the declining fortunes of the country’s national teams and concerns surrounding the management of Nigerian football.

The latest setback was the Super Falcons’ historic failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, ending Nigeria’s uninterrupted participation in the tournament since its inception in 1991.

The resignations also come amid scrutiny by security agencies over the utilisation of the N17 billion intervention fund released by the Federal Government to the NFF for the payment of players’ wages, bonuses and other outstanding obligations.

The fund was approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to clear outstanding financial commitments to Nigeria’s national teams.

It was learnt that the Department of State Services (DSS) had commenced inquiries into the utilisation of the funds, with NFF officials reportedly asked to provide relevant records and documents.

An authoritative source told Vanguard on Monday that the DSS had intensified its scrutiny of the federation’s financial activities.

“It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released to them,” the source said, dismissing concerns that the exercise amounted to a witch-hunt.

The investigation comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over the management and declining performance of Nigeria’s national teams.

The Super Eagles have missed successive FIFA World Cup tournaments, while the Super Falcons recently suffered the unprecedented setback of failing to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

The Falcons lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), ending their title defence and forcing them into the World Cup playoff route.

Nigeria subsequently lost 2-1 to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the qualification playoff, bringing an end to the country’s record of appearing at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.

Pressure Mounts on NFF Leadership

The NFF executive committee, headed by Gusau, had been under increasing pressure to resign following the string of disappointing results and administrative controversies.

It was gathered that eight of the 13 members of the NFF board had allegedly resigned from their positions, further weakening the leadership of the federation.

The latest resignations have thrown the NFF into fresh uncertainty and could have implications for the federation’s electoral calendar.

The NFF had scheduled its next board elections for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, but the mass resignation of board members could affect the process and trigger further developments within the federation.

The development is expected to heighten calls for reforms in the administration of Nigerian football as stakeholders await clarification on the next steps for the federation.