The Chairman of the Kebbi Football Association (FA), Alhaji Abubakar Chika-Ladan, has dismissed allegations of fund misappropriation and poor execution surrounding the FIFA-funded Mini-Stadium project in Kebbi State.
Speaking to journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday, Chika-Ladan said contrary to claims circulating on social media, the project was fully completed over two years ago and has been in regular use since then.
“There have been insinuations that the project was not completed, was poorly executed, or that funds were misappropriated by the National Football Federation.
We are here to show that the mini-stadium was completed and has been in use since then,” he stated.
According to him, the facility has hosted several football competitions both local and national which served as Kebbi United Football Club’s home ground during the last football season. He added that Zamfara United had also used the facility after relocating to Kebbi.
“What people are saying is a figment of their imagination. Those spreading such rumours are enemies of progress and of Nigeria,” Chika-Ladan said.
He explained that the project was directly managed by FIFA, which appointed both the contractor and consultant through an international bidding process won by Nigerian firms.
“The project was valued at $1.8 million (about ₦400 million at the time). It covered the construction of a playing pitch, a 250-seat pavilion, a medical clinic, dressing rooms for teams and officials, perimeter fencing, landscaping, and maintenance equipment,” he added.
Chika-Ladan also noted that the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mr. Shehu Dikko, had already clarified details about the project’s implementation.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in Kebbi, Mr. Mansur Senchi, called on the association’s national president, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, to caution members against spreading false reports.
“It is unacceptable for anyone to sit elsewhere and publish unfounded stories about this project. We will no longer tolerate it,” Senchi warned.
The FIFA Forward Programme-funded mini-stadium in Birnin Kebbi has faced public scrutiny due to criticism of its appearance and cost. The controversy intensified after FIFA used the facility’s image on its social media banner, sparking outrage and calls for investigation.
In response, NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko clarified during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today that FIFA—not the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)—handled the project directly.
“No one collected the money. FIFA is hands-on with all its projects. The NFF’s role is simply to provide the land,” Dikko explained.
“I was the first person to deliver a FIFA Goal project in Nigeria, so I understand how this process works. FIFA appoints and pays the contractor directly to deliver what was agreed upon.”
NAN
Advertisement
