Ibrahim Gusau has resigned as President of the Nigeria Football Federation after three years and 11 months in charge, bringing his tenure to an end amid a difficult period for Nigerian football.
Gusau announced his decision at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, saying he reached it after consultations with his family and friends. He said his decision was motivated by his love for Nigeria and his desire to contribute to the development of the game.
“I have decided to resign my position as the President of NFF, after consultations with my family and friends.
“I have also advised my board members, those who are willing, to resign as well,” he said.
Gusau, however, said he could not immediately establish how many members of the NFF Executive Committee had followed his lead because those concerned had not yet communicated their decisions directly to him.
His departure comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over Nigeria’s recent performances across international football.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, while the Super Falcons missed out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
At youth level, the Golden Eaglets have also endured a difficult spell, failing to qualify for three consecutive editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
He said the NFF organised several coaching programmes during his tenure, including CAF B Licence, CAF C Licence and Coaching Instructors’ courses, while the CAF A Licence programme is scheduled to begin on September 16.
On domestic football, Gusau said his administration inherited a league system that required greater stability and made efforts to address some of its challenges.
He also highlighted what he described as improvements in Nigerian refereeing.
According to Gusau, the federation inherited a difficult situation in which Nigeria had limited representation among officials at major continental and global competitions.
He said the NFF responded by introducing younger referees into the system and providing opportunities for training and development.
“Today, we are beginning to see the results.
“At the last Under-17 World Cup and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Nigerian referees were among the officials and even handled some of the semi-final matches,” he said.
Gusau expressed hope that continued investment in the development of young referees would improve Nigeria’s representation at major international tournaments.
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Infrastructure was another area he identified as a major challenge facing Nigerian football.
Gusau said his administration prioritised the issue and utilised funds available through FIFA development programmes to begin addressing the country’s infrastructure needs.
“As a board, we sat down and identified infrastructure as one of our greatest needs.
“We also recognised the need for permanent accommodation and training facilities for our national teams, and we are currently working on that.
“I believe history will judge us on this, and Nigerians will remember that we played our part in addressing the infrastructure challenge,” he said.
Despite stepping down, Gusau said he would remain available to contribute to Nigerian football through the experience and relationships he has built within African football.
“For me, I want to make it clear that, by the grace of God, we will continue to give our contribution.
“Our experience, connections and relationships within African football will never go in vain.
“We will do our best to ensure that whenever we are needed, we will contribute to the progress of Nigerian football,” he said.
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Gusau leaves office after a tenure that produced progress in some administrative and development areas but was ultimately overshadowed by Nigeria’s struggles to qualify for major international tournaments.
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