FIFA approves normalisation committee for Nigeria

FIFA has moved to restore order in Nigerian football by approving the formation of a normalisation committee to take charge of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) until a new executive leadership is elected. The decision, announced by the NFF on Thursday, follows a leadership crisis that left the federation facing uncertainty over its administration and electoral process.

In a statement issued through its Communications Department, the NFF said the Bureau of the FIFA Council had approved the establishment of the committee, whose members will be appointed jointly by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). A letter signed by FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström and addressed to Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme outlined the committee’s mandate and the deadline for completing its work.

“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. The committee will remain in office until it has completed its assigned responsibilities, but its tenure must end no later than May 31, 2027. “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.

Committee members barred from contesting FIFA has also ruled out the possibility of members of the interim body using their positions to secure places in the next NFF leadership. “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. The restriction is intended to separate the committee’s temporary administrative responsibilities from the contest for elected positions in the federation.

Until FIFA and CAF appoint the members, the NFF secretariat will continue to manage routine administrative duties and the day-to-day running of Nigerian football. Leadership crisis disrupts elections The intervention follows the resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and other members of the federation’s Executive Committee on August 27, 2026.

Their departures came amid mounting criticism of Nigerian football following the country’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 resignations left the federation facing a leadership vacuum and disrupted preparations for executive committee elections scheduled for September 27.

The normalisation committee is expected to provide temporary leadership while addressing the tasks assigned by FIFA and CAF and preparing the ground for fresh elections. Its appointment marks a significant intervention in the administration of Nigerian football, with the May 31, 2027 deadline providing a clear outer limit for the process.