The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has clarified that the $1.19 million FIFA-funded mini-stadium in Birnin-Kebbi was managed directly by FIFA, not the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Dikko made this statement on Channels Television’s Politics Today while addressing allegations of mismanagement of FIFA funds intended for grassroots football and infrastructure development.
He explained that FIFA, not the NFF, oversaw the entire project from contractor selection to payment while the NFF’s role was limited to providing land for the facility.
“FIFA manages its projects directly. The NFF’s job is to provide the land and indicate what is needed. FIFA then appoints and pays the contractor,” Dikko said.
“No one collected any money. FIFA handled the funds and managed the process from start to finish.”
Dikko, who said he was the first to deliver a FIFA Goal project in Nigeria, emphasized that the ongoing controversy stemmed from misunderstanding.
A 2023 image shared by FIFA showing the stadium’s unfinished phase drew public backlash, with Nigerians questioning how the $1.2 million allocation was spent.
He attributed the project’s slow progress and cost variations to exchange rate fluctuations and delays in land acquisition and documentation.
“The project was approved in 2015, and procurement started in 2016. What was the dollar-to-naira rate then?” he asked. “Delays pushed the foundation and contract signing to 2020 before FIFA’s appointed contractor began work.”
According to Dikko, FIFA’s Forward Programme structure requires public tenders, consultant supervision, and direct contractor payments, meaning the NFF never handled the project’s funds.
“The picture people saw was just the first phase of the project,” he clarified.
The Birnin-Kebbi mini-stadium project has faced intense public scrutiny since FIFA featured its image on social media, prompting calls for accountability and an investigation.
The House of Representatives Committee on Sports has since launched an inquiry into the NFF’s management of FIFA and CAF development grants, using the Kebbi project as a focal point.
Dikko reaffirmed that all funds were managed transparently by FIFA and that the NFF had no financial involvement in the project.
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