Emmanuel Ikpeme Takes Charge as Acting NFF General Secretary Amid Major Football Shake-Up

Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, MON, has been appointed to oversee the Secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as Acting General Secretary, following the resignation of Dr Mohammed Sanusi from the position. The development is part of sweeping administrative changes currently unfolding in Nigerian football.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) endorsed Ikpeme, who previously served as the NFF’s Deputy General Secretary, to assume interim responsibility for the federation’s administrative operations. He is expected to formally take charge of the Secretariat on Friday, August 28, 2026.

His elevation follows the resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee. The resignations have triggered a broader transition process aimed at restructuring the administration of Nigerian football.

Ikpeme’s immediate responsibility will be to maintain the smooth running of the NFF Secretariat while the authorities work on the next phase of the federation’s administrative arrangement. His role is therefore expected to focus heavily on continuity at a time of significant institutional uncertainty.

The NFF has also announced that Dr Ademola Olajire, formerly its Director of Media and Communications, will serve as Acting Deputy General Secretary. The interim appointments are intended to keep the federation’s administrative machinery operational during the transition.

Ikpeme is not new to the administration of Nigerian football. He joined the NFF in 2007 as Deputy Secretary-General (Technical) before rising to the position of Deputy General Secretary in March 2015. His long experience within the federation places him among its more familiar senior administrators.

Before joining the NFF, Ikpeme had an academic career at the University of Calabar and later served as Sole Administrator of the Cross River State Sports Council. His combination of academic and sports-administration experience has been cited as part of the background behind his suitability for the interim assignment.

The latest changes extend beyond the NFF Secretariat. The federation has directed the chairmen, appointed directors and chief executive officers of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) and Nationwide League One to hand over league administration to their respective Chief Operating Officers.

The NFF has also suspended preparations for the Elective Congress scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State. According to the federation, a fresh electoral process will commence after anticipated comprehensive reforms, which are expected to be undertaken in consultation with FIFA, CAF, the government and other stakeholders.

Ikpeme’s appointment therefore comes at a critical juncture for Nigerian football. While his immediate mandate is interim, he is expected to ensure that competitions, programmes and the federation’s engagements with domestic and international stakeholders continue without administrative paralysis as discussions over the future structure of Nigerian football proceed.