Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has broken his silence amid allegations over $1.2 Million FIFA fund misappropriation by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The controversy erupted after FIFA shared an image on social media showing the half-completed Benin-Kebbi Stadium, one of the projects under its Goal Project initiative aimed at improving football infrastructure across Nigeria.
The post by the world football governing body has sparked numerous controversies in the West African country, with many questioning the project’s funding and progress.
According to Dikko, the domestic football governing body did not receive any money, and the project in question was managed directly by FIFA.
“That is where people are getting it wrong; no one collected the money. I’m not here to defend the NFF, but as the leader of sports in Nigeria, what happens to the NFF affects the entire sports ecosystem,” he said on Channel TV.
“I was a manager of FIFA projects, and I know how FIFA works. The NFF’s role is only to provide land and specify the project needs. FIFA handles procurement and payments to the contractor.”
Dikko clarified that the social media image shows only the first phase of the project. He attributed the rising costs to fluctuations in the naira-dollar exchange rate, explaining that the project’s 2015 approval predated the higher 2020 contract signing costs due to land acquisition delays.
The House Committee on Sports is investigating the NFF’s use of FIFA/CAF grants, with the Kebbi project at the center of its focus.
