A joint four-man delegation from FIFA and CAF has arrived in Abuja for a two-day assessment mission to address the governance crisis within the Nigeria Football Federation.
The visit follows a formal directive issued on September 7, 2026, by FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, Elkhan Mammadov, which indefinitely halted the NFF electoral process and suspended the planned September 27 Elective Congress in Lafia, Nasarawa State. This intervention stems from mass resignations on August 27, 2026, including former NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, and key Executive Committee members, creating an administrative vacuum.
To manage operations and coordinate the delegation’s logistics during the interim period, FIFA and CAF designated NFF Deputy General Secretary Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme as the primary point of contact. This mission builds on earlier consultative talks held on September 1, 2026, at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, which included representatives from the Federal Government of Nigeria, the National Sports Commission and NFF leadership.
It was gathered that the delegation would open its itinerary today with a meeting with the leadership of the National Sports Commission which is most likely to followed by talks with NFF management and staff .
During the mission, the delegation is also expected to hold round-table sessions with representatives of the NFF administration, key congress members, the federation’s electoral committee and senior government officials. Separately, the NFF has named 27 representatives drawn from state Football Association chairmen, the coaches’, referees’ and players’ associations, and club officials from the NPFL, NWFL, NNL and NLO to attend a related meeting with the delegation at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
In the interim, FIFA and CAF said Dr Ikpeme, as the official point of contact, will continue to coordinate administrative affairs and logistics for the visiting team.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
