FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have approved the appointment of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) AbdulHakeem Uthman Mustapha as chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) normalisation committee.
The development follows the dissolution of the NFF board after a series of resignations led by federation president Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
The move has paved the way for the establishment of a normalisation committee tasked with overseeing Nigerian football administration and organising fresh elections to elect a new NFF board next year.
The approval process had reportedly been delayed as FIFA and CAF reviewed the nominees submitted for the committee.
Mustapha is expected to lead a team that reportedly includes former NFF board member Chris Green, who currently serves as chairman of Rivers United.
He brings experience in football administration and legal affairs, having previously served on FIFA’s Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Committee and as president of the CAF Appeal Committee.
The committee will oversee the federation’s affairs during the transition period, with its responsibilities including organising elections and ensuring the NFF returns to an elected leadership structure.
Its work will be closely watched as Nigerian football prepares for a new administrative phase under the supervision of FIFA and CAF.
