By Alkasim Abdulkadir
In Nigerian football, leadership is often judged by what happens on the pitch. When the national teams win, administrators receive praise. When they lose, the same administrators are quickly blamed.
But as the Nigeria Football Federation prepares for another leadership cycle, the case for Ibrahim Gusau deserves to be considered beyond the emotions of individual matches.
There is a simple argument for continuity: Nigerian football has recorded meaningful progress under his watch, and the work should be allowed to mature. The most obvious evidence is the performance of the national teams.
The Super Falcons won the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, securing Nigeria’s record 10th title. The Super Eagles won silver at the 2023 AFCON and bronze in 2025. At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Super Falcons went unbeaten in regulation time, including a goalless draw with eventual champions England before losing their round-of-16 tie on penalties.
The younger teams have also provided reasons for optimism. The Flamingos won bronze at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India, while the Flying Eagles reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
These achievements cannot all be attributed to one person. Football is a collective enterprise involving players, coaches, clubs, technical staff and administrators. But leadership matters because it helps create the environment in which these people operate. There are also developments outside the spotlight.
The national teams have made use of FIFA international windows to play friendly matches. The Super Eagles also won the Afro-Caribbean Unity Cup in 2025 and 2026. Regular international exposure gives coaches opportunities to test players and systems before major competitions.
Refereeing is another area where continuity could prove valuable. The NFF has continued capacity-building programmes for referees, including efforts to develop younger officiating talent. Referees are using modern communication equipment, while the federation is expanding opportunities for VAR training.
Then there is infrastructure. Through FIFA Forward 3.0 funding, the NFF has committed resources to a 68-room players’ hostel, two new training pitches and the renovation of an existing pitch. Such projects may not generate the headlines of a continental trophy, but they are investments in the foundations of the game.
Domestic football has also shown signs of improved organisation. The NPFL has made progress, particularly around adherence to its schedule. The NNL has also made efforts to improve its organisation and commercial appeal.
This matters because the future of Nigerian football cannot depend solely on the national teams. The domestic leagues are where players are developed, coaches are tested, referees gain experience and commercial opportunities are created.
There is also an important institutional dimension to the case for continuity. In March 2026, the NFF Congress passed a unanimous vote of confidence in the Gusau-led Executive Committee and approved September 26, 2026 for the federation’s elective congress.
That does not, by itself, determine the outcome of an election. But it is significant evidence that the federation’s broader membership recognises continuity as a legitimate option.
Gusau’s case for re-election, therefore, should not be based on the claim that Nigerian football is perfect. It clearly is not.
There remain serious challenges: infrastructure, club administration, financing, player welfare, grassroots development and the need to build a stronger football economy.
But elections should also be about what has been achieved and what can reasonably be expected from continuity.
If an organisation is moving in the right direction, the sensible question is not always whether to change its leadership. Sometimes it is whether to give the leadership the stability required to complete the work already underway.
That is the argument for Gusau. His tenure has coincided with tangible results across the national teams, domestic competitions, refereeing and infrastructure. More importantly, some of the work underway requires time to deliver its full value.
Re-election should therefore not be seen simply as rewarding an individual. It can be viewed as a vote for continuity, institutional memory and the completion of reforms already in motion.
Nigerian football has spent years struggling with inconsistency. Perhaps what it needs now is not another abrupt change of direction, but a steady hand capable of consolidating the gains while confronting the gaps that remain.
The case for Gusau is ultimately a case for continuity.
The trophies provide part of the evidence. The reforms and infrastructure provide another part. The next mandate should be about turning progress into permanence.
Alkasim Abdulkadir is an International and public affairs analyst, he writes from Abuja.