Gusau confirmed his resignation during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, saying he made the decision after consulting his family, friends and key stakeholders.
The leadership crisis deepened after reports that the majority of the 13 members of the NFF board had resigned.
The NFF has now convened an emergency congress in Abuja to determine its next steps and address the status of the executive committee.
The development comes just weeks before the scheduled NFF elections and follows mounting pressure over the management of Nigerian football, particularly the disappointing performances of the country’s national teams.
Pressure on the NFF leadership intensified after the ten-time African queens suffered a setback by failing to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria had featured in every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.
However, that remarkable record came to an end after Justine Madugu’s team got eliminated from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations by Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s title defence and forced the team into a World Cup play-off route, where they subsequently lost to South Africa.
Prior to that, the Nigeria U20 team had failed to qualify for the 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations following a humiliating defeat to Burkina Faso in the final of the WAFU Zone B U20 Championship in Yamoussoukro.
Although the Super Eagles finished runners-up at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations under Gusau’s administration, their failure to reach consecutive World Cups has increased scrutiny of the federation.
Beyond results on the pitch, the NFF has also faced questions over its financial management.
The Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly joined other security agencies in examining the utilisation of a N17 billion Federal Government intervention fund approved in 2024 to settle outstanding wages, bonuses and other obligations owed to Nigeria’s national teams.
With the NFF now facing a leadership vacuum, stakeholders will hope the crisis can become an opportunity for greater accountability, structural reforms and a fresh direction for Nigerian football.