NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi Resigns Amid Leadership Shake-Up

NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi Resigns Amid Leadership Shake-Up

By Niyi Busari

The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Mohammed Sanusi, has resigned from his position amid a major leadership shake-up at the country’s football governing body, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Sanusi’s resignation was confirmed on Thursday by the former NFF chief scribe himself, according to reports published by Daily Sun, with Sanusi reportedly stating that the resignation of both himself and NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau was true.

The development comes amid growing pressure on the NFF leadership following a difficult period for Nigerian football, including the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ historic failure to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Reports earlier indicated that several members of the NFF Executive Committee had also resigned. Vanguard reported on Thursday that Gusau and other board members had stepped down, while other reports put the number of departing Executive Committee members at eight out of the 13-member board.

Sanusi, who has served as NFF General Secretary since 2014, has been responsible for the day-to-day administration of the federation, working across national team programmes, competitions and the implementation of decisions of the NFF Executive Committee and Congress.

The reported mass departures therefore raise questions over who will take charge of the federation’s as or Emergency Congress will be required to determine the next phase of the NFF’s administration.

The developments also come at a critical point in the federation’s electoral calendar. The NFF had earlier approved an elective congress for September 2026 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, although reports in recent weeks have indicated that the electoral process could be affected by the proposed restructuring of Nigerian football.

The leadership crisis has unfolded against the backdrop of mounting scrutiny of the NFF, including questions surrounding the management of government funds allocated to support the country’s national teams. Reports have also linked security agencies to investigations into the utilisation of a Federal Government intervention fund.

For now, the immediate priority is likely to be establishing an interim administrative structure capable of keeping the federation operational while the relevant NFF organs determine the constitutional and statutory steps to be taken.

The reported resignation of Sanusi and Gusau would represent one of the most significant leadership changes in the history of Nigerian football administration. However, the precise legal and administrative consequences will depend on the formal resignation notices, the number of Executive Committee vacancies and the application of the March 2026 NFF Statutes.

The NFF had yet to issue a comprehensive official statement confirming all the reported resignations at the time of publication.