The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Dr Ayo Abdulrahaman as the new Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Premier Football League as the 2026/27 NPFL season got underway on Friday.

The appointment was announced by the NFF on Friday, August 28, 2026, the same day the new NPFL season officially kicked off with a headline fixture between Shooting Stars and newly promoted Inter Lagos at the Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan.

The federation said Abdulrahaman’s appointment took immediate effect as part of ongoing efforts to restructure the administration and management of the country’s football leagues.

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His appointment followed a directive issued by the NFF on Thursday, August 27, directing all board members and chief executive officers of the various leagues, as well as chief operating officers who are not members of NFF staff, to vacate their positions.

The directive formed part of the federation’s ongoing restructuring of its management and league administration.

The NFF had also appointed Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme as its interim General Secretary on Thursday.

Ikpeme confirmed Abdulrahaman’s appointment, saying it was made in line with the federation’s directive and the ongoing changes within the football governing body.

Abdulrahaman is expected to oversee the operational administration of the NPFL as clubs begin their campaigns in the 2026/27 season.

The new NPFL campaign opened in Ibadan with Shooting Stars hosting newly promoted Inter Lagos, with other fixtures scheduled to take place across the country.

Clubs will compete throughout the season for the NPFL title, continental qualification spots and survival, as teams battle for points and positioning on the league table.

The appointment of Abdulrahaman comes a day after the NFF named Ikpeme as interim General Secretary following the directive for affected members of the federation’s management and secretariat to vacate their positions.