President Bola Tinubu has ordered a reform of Nigeria’s football system, Punch Newspapers reports. The directive comes as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) faces a leadership vacuum and mounting scrutiny over governance and recent World Cup failures.
The order was reported on Thursday, 27 August 2026, following the resignation of NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, which was confirmed by Premium Times Nigeria. According to the BBC, the resignation occurred amid governance concerns and the national team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Punch Newspapers reports that the reform push is underway as candidates begin to emerge for the NFF presidency. Segun Odegbami and Kunle Soname are among the leading contenders to replace Gusau, according to the same outlet.
The Guardian Nigeria News adds that the NFF is searching for a new era and new "managers" as part of a broader global accountability probe into football administration. The reform ordered by Tinubu appears to align with that push for greater transparency and better management.
The context is significant: Nigeria’s football system has been under pressure from multiple angles—poor results on the pitch, questions over leadership, and external scrutiny of how the game is run. The resignation of Gusau clears the way for a change in direction, but the details of Tinubu’s reform plan have not yet been made public.
What to watch next: whether the reform order leads to legislative or administrative changes, and who ultimately wins the NFF presidency race.
