Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Shehu Dikko, explained that NFF never received, much less managed the controversial $1.19 million FIFA money said to have been passed through the federation, stating that the project was handled directly by the world body without the NFF playing any role.
Dikko made the explanation during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following an upsurge of allegations of financial impropriety against the NFF. Controversy had reawakened over what the $1.2 million grant was used for after a 2023 photo posted on FIFA social media showing an incomplete stadium structure sparked outrage from the public.
“No one collected the money,” Dikko said. “FIFA manages its projects directly. The NFF’s role is only to provide the land and make requests on what is needed. At the end of the day, FIFA appoints and pays the contractor directly.”
He added that under the FIFA Forward Programme, everything is overseen by FIFA for the sake of transparency and accountability.
He blamed the perceived low value of the project on the country’s fluctuating exchange rate, explaining that the project was approved for the first time in 2015 when the naira was stronger. Land acquisition delays pushed the contract signing to 2020, which he claimed, consequently affected costs and timelines of the entire work.
The chairman of the NSC further explained that the viral photo was just the initial stage of the project, which he said was finished according to agreement after a public tender process handled by FIFA.
He said FIFA remains fully responsible for the implementation of the project, and all funds were disbursed and managed according to international standards.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Sports is investigating the management of FIFA and CAF grants by the NFF, with the Birnin-Kebbi project as one of the cornerstones of the investigation.
