Ikpeme, Abdulrahaman take charge of NFF, NPFL

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)

Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme and Dr Ayo Abdulrahaman have taken charge of the Nigeria Football Federation Secretariat and the Nigeria Premier Football League respectively, as the National Sports Commission moved to ensure continuity in football administration following the resignation of the federation’s top officials.

The National Sports Commission endorsed Ikpeme, until then Deputy General Secretary, to oversee the NFF Secretariat as interim General Secretary, with Dr Ademola Olajire, formerly Director of Media and Communications, stepping in as interim Deputy General Secretary.

The appointments followed Thursday’s resignations of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau as President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi as General Secretary, and members of the federation’s Executive Committee.

Also on Friday, the NFF appointed Abdulrahaman as Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Premier Football League, on the same day the new season kicked off with a season-opening clash between CAF Confederation Cup flag-bearers, Shooting Stars, and newly-promoted Inter Lagos FC, at the Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan.

Abdulrahaman, who holds a doctorate degree in sports administration, brings a wealth of experience across the various leagues into the role.

Ikpeme said Abdulrahaman’s appointment followed Thursday’s directive to all board members, chief executives and non-NFF-staff Chief Operating Officers of the various leagues to vacate their positions, and confirmed that the appointment took immediate effect.

The Chairmen, appointed directors and chief executives of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and Nationwide League One have equally been directed to hand over administration of their respective leagues to their Chief Operating Officers, who are staff of the NFF, or to a newly deployed Chief Operating Officer from the federation where the incumbent is not.

All processes initiated in preparation for the NFF Elective Congress, earlier scheduled for September 27, have been suspended, with a fresh electoral process to commence only after comprehensive reforms have been concluded in consultation with FIFA and CAF.

The reorganisation comes on the back of a directive by President Bola Tinubu ordering a comprehensive overhaul of Nigerian football administration, to address the country’s repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and global tournaments.

“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” Tinubu had said, noting that while other sports had recorded meaningful progress since the reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, football had continued to struggle owing to structural weaknesses.

“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” he said, directing the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the NFF Secretariat and other stakeholders to ensure continuity in football administration while facilitating a broad, consultative reform process alongside engagement with FIFA and CAF.