The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Mohammed Sanusi, has reportedly resigned from his position amid a major shake-up within the country’s football governing body, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Sanusi’s resignation was confirmed by the former NFF chief scribe on Thursday, according to Daily Sun, with the 2014-appointed secretary general reportedly stating that both his resignation and that of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau were genuine.
The development comes amid increasing pressure on the NFF leadership following a difficult period for Nigerian football. The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons suffered the historic setback of missing out on the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Reports had earlier indicated that several members of the NFF Executive Committee had also stepped down. Vanguard reported that Gusau and other board members had resigned, with some reports claiming as many as eight of the 13 Executive Committee members had departed.
Sanusi has served as NFF General Secretary since 2014 and has played a central role in the federation’s daily administration, overseeing national team programmes, competitions and the implementation of decisions taken by the NFF Executive Committee and Congress.
The reported mass departures could leave the federation facing questions over its immediate leadership structure and whether an Emergency Congress may be required to determine the next phase of its administration.
The crisis also comes at a crucial point in the NFF’s electoral calendar. The federation had earlier approved an elective congress for September 2026 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, although recent developments surrounding the proposed restructuring of Nigerian football could affect the process.
Meanwhile, the NFF has faced increased scrutiny over the management of government funds allocated to national teams. Security agencies have reportedly commenced investigations into the utilisation of a Federal Government intervention fund released to the federation.
For now, the immediate challenge will be establishing an interim administrative arrangement capable of keeping the federation operational while the appropriate NFF organs determine the constitutional and statutory steps required.
The reported departures of Sanusi and Gusau would represent a major change in Nigerian football administration. However, the precise legal and administrative implications will depend on the formal resignation notices, the number of Executive Committee vacancies, and the provisions of the March 2026 NFF Statutes.
At the time of publication, the NFF had yet to issue a comprehensive official statement confirming all the reported resignations.