FIFA has approved the appointment of a normalisation committee to manage the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation pending fresh elections into its executive committee.
The NFF disclosed this in a statement issued by its Communications Department on Thursday, saying the Bureau of the FIFA Council approved the committee’s appointment.
According to a letter signed by FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström and addressed to Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the committee’s members will be jointly appointed by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football.
“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 would remain in office until it completed its assigned tasks, with May 31, 2027, set as the latest date for its tenure to end.
“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.
The world football governing body also ruled out members of the committee from contesting in the forthcoming NFF elections.
“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 NFF secretariat will continue to handle the federation’s day-to-day administration and the running of Nigerian football until the committee is appointed.
The development follows a leadership crisis at the NFF after President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and other members of the federation’s Executive Committee resigned on August 27, 2026, amid mounting 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 mass resignations created a leadership vacuum and disrupted preparations for the NFF elections scheduled for September 27.
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