The announcement of members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Normalisation Committee is still being awaited, with reports suggesting that the screening of prospective appointees has encountered challenges over FIFA’s integrity and eligibility requirements, SavidNews has been reliably informed.

While many had anticipated the announcement at worse on October 31, the delay has got tongues wagging about when the interim body will be formally constituted to take charge of Nigerian football and begin the transition towards fresh elections into the NFF Executive Committee.

According to supreme sources close to CAF and FIFA, some individuals recommended for membership reportedly failed to satisfy FIFA’s screening requirements, complicating the process of finalising the committee.

On October 22, FIFA announced its approved for the appointment of a Normalisation Committee, following months of leadership uncertainty at the NFF as the world football governing body confirmed that the committee would oversee the federation pending fresh elections.

In its announcement, the NFF disclosed that the Bureau of the FIFA Council had approved the appointment, with members to be jointly selected by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The joint appointment arrangement is significant because it gives both international governing bodies direct responsibility for determining the committee’s composition.

Sources hinted that It also leaves room for the involvement of non-Nigerian officials or representatives nominated through FIFA and CAF, reflecting the international bodies’ role in overseeing the normalisation process. 

However, neither FIFA nor CAF has publicly confirmed the identities or nationalities of the eventual members.

The committee is expected to remain in office until it completes its assigned responsibilities, but no later than May 31, 2027. FIFA has also ruled that none of its members will be eligible to contest positions in the next NFF elections.

Until the appointments are officially announced and the committee assumes office, the NFF Secretariat will continue to handle the federation’s daily administration.

The reported screening setback comes against the background of FIFA’s insistence that prospective members must meet its integrity and eligibility standards.

Earlier reports indicated that the National Sports Commission (NSC) was expected to recommend candidates for an eight-member committee, subject to comprehensive background checks by FIFA.

A September 4 report by The Guardian quoted a stakeholder as saying FIFA would conduct thorough checks on all recommended candidates before deciding on the committee’s composition and leadership.  

The screening process gained further attention after The Guardian reported on October 27 that FIFA, CAF and the NSC had commenced assessments of prospective members.

The Nigerian news tabloid reported that two candidates were being considered for the chairmanship, identifying Rivers United chairman Chris Green and Senior Advocate of Nigeria AbdulHakeem Uthman Mustapha as leading contenders.

It also reported that three women were among those being screened, although their prospective positions were not disclosed as these names and details remain media reports and should not be regarded as confirmed appointments.  

The international dimension of the committee’s composition is central to the process as FIFA and CAF are expected to ensure that the body operates within their statutes and carries out the responsibilities assigned to it, rather than functioning as a caretaker arrangement determined solely by domestic football interests.

The Normalisation Committee is expected to provide temporary leadership, address governance and administrative concerns, and create the conditions for fresh elections as well as specific responsibilities to be guided by the terms of reference established by FIFA and CAF.

The leadership crisis followed the mass resignation of former NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee on August 27.

The resignations disrupted the federation’s leadership structure and led to the suspension of the planned elective congress as FIFA and CAF engaged Nigerian authorities and football stakeholders over the way forward.

President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed comprehensive reforms of Nigerian football, with the NSC tasked with working alongside the NFF Secretariat and engaging the international governing bodies.

The proposed reforms are expected to address governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability.

FIFA’s October 22 approval has moved the process into a new phase, but the absence of publicly announced members means the transition is yet to reach the point of formal handover.

For Nigerian football stakeholders, attention is now focused on the outcome of the integrity checks, the balance between domestic and international representation, and the eventual announcement of members jointly appointed by FIFA and CAF.

The immediate challenge will be to establish a committee capable of stabilising the federation, implementing its assigned reforms and providing a transparent route to elected leadership before the May 31, 2027 deadline.