The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially appointed Dr Ayo Abdulrahaman as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). The announcement was made on Friday, August 28, 2026, coming into immediate effect as the new 2026/2027 NPFL season officially kicked off.
​The decision coincides with the opening fixture of the campaign held at the Lekan Salami Stadium (Adamasingba Stadium) in Ibadan, where Shooting Stars faced off against newly promoted Inter Lagos FC.
​Speaking on behalf of the federation from the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, NFF Interim General Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, MON, confirmed that the appointment follows a directives framework issued on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Under the directive, all previous board members, chief executive officers, and non-NFF staff chief operating officers across the domestic leagues were instructed to vacate their positions as part of a nationwide administrative restructuring.
​”Dr Abdulrahaman’s appointment comes as part of deliberate measures to guarantee seamless continuity and operational excellence in our domestic league administration during this transition,” stated Dr Ikpeme.
​Dr Abdulrahaman holds a doctorate degree in Sports Administration and brings extensive leadership experience in Nigerian football governance, having previously served across multiple tiers of the domestic league system.
His appointment places him at the operational helm of the NPFL as the federation restructures its competitions under NFF staff supervision.
