FIFA has approved the appointment of a normalisation committee to oversee the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) pending fresh elections to the federation’s executive committee.
The decision was taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council on Thursday, with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) expected to jointly select members of the committee.
In a letter signed by FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström and addressed to Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the world football governing body said the committee would be appointed as soon as possible.
“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’s tenure would end once it had completed its assigned responsibilities, with May 31, 2027, set as the final deadline.
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The committee will oversee the process leading to fresh elections, but its members will not be allowed to contest any of the positions to be filled.
“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,” the letter added.
Until the committee is formally appointed, the NFF secretariat will continue to manage the federation’s daily operations and the administration of football in Nigeria.
The decision comes amid uncertainty over the NFF’s leadership following the reported resignation of President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and other members of the federation’s executive committee on August 27, 2026.
The leadership crisis followed criticism over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The resignations also disrupted plans for the NFF elections, which had been scheduled for September 27.
