The global governing body for football, FIFA, has officially sanctioned the establishment of a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). This pivotal decision was communicated on Thursday by the Zurich-based organisation in a formal letter addressed to the current head of the federation, Emmanuel Ikpeme.
This move comes after a period of significant upheaval within the NFF, marked by the resignations of its president, Ibrahim Gusau, and General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, in August. Their departure followed widespread criticism regarding the inability of various Nigerian national teams to qualify for major continental and global tournaments.
The concept of a normalisation committee was initially proposed as a mechanism to reform and restructure the NFF prior to the election of a new Executive Committee. According to an official statement released by the NFF, FIFA has now given its approval for this interim measure, which will pave the way for fresh elections.
"The Bureau of the FIFA Council on Thursday approved the appointment of a Normalisation Committee to manage the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation, pending fresh elections into the NFF Executive Committee," the statement confirmed.
The letter, which was signed by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, further stipulated that both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will be actively involved in the selection process for the committee's members. It also specified that the committee is mandated to complete its assigned responsibilities by the end of May, with the newly elected NFF President and Executive Committee members expected to assume office from June 2027.
The official communication from FIFA detailed the structure and timeline for the committee:
- "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 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 NFF also revealed a critical stipulation: individuals appointed to the normalisation committee will be ineligible to contest in the forthcoming elections for official positions within the federation. This measure is intended to ensure impartiality and prevent any potential conflicts of interest.
Until the normalisation committee is fully constituted and commences its duties, the day-to-day administration of Nigerian football will continue under the stewardship of Emmanuel Ikpeme.
"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 statement clarified.
"In the meantime, the Secretariat of the NFF will continue with the day-to-day running of the organisation and administration of the country’s football pending the appointment of the Normalisation Committee."