The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)’s planned Normalisation Committee, tasked with restructuring the nation’s football administration after the resignation of the executive committee headed by Ibrahim Gusau, remains unannounced because a number of the nominated individuals did not satisfy FIFA’s integrity test.
On 22 October, the NFF released an official statement confirming that the world governing body FIFA had approved the creation of a Normalisation Committee to reorganise football in the country. The statement also noted that the committee’s members would be jointly appointed by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). No further updates were provided for several weeks.
A senior source later revealed that the delay stems from the fact that several of the recommended candidates failed the integrity assessment required by FIFA. “Some of those recommended for the committee did not pass the FIFA test, that is partly why the committee is not yet in place,” the source said, while refusing to disclose the names of the individuals who were rejected.
According to the same source, the committee is expected to comprise between seven and nine members, with indications that up to two of them could be non‑Nigerians. The panel is mandated to complete its mandate by 31 May 2027.
In the meantime, a former NFF general secretary and a once‑influential former executive committee member have been actively lobbying to secure the chairmanship of the Normalisation Committee, adding a further layer of political maneuvering to the already stalled process.
The NFF has not provided a new timeline for announcing the committee, but observers anticipate that once FIFA clears a revised list of candidates, the normalisation body will be installed to guide Nigerian football back to stability.