Reps Probe NFF Over Alleged Mismanagement Of $25m FIFA, CAF Grants

The House of Representatives yesterday resolved investigate financial grants advanced to the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), totalling $25m.

The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance during plenary, co-sponsored by Lagos lawmaker, Adedayo Adesola and his Rivers State counterpart, Felix Nwaeke.

Titled: “Motion to stop further misuse of FIFA and CAF grants by Nigerian Football Federation,” Adesola noted that the mismanagement of grants by the global football governing body was largely responsible for the poor outings in recent times by the various national teams.

Only recently, former Super Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh, accused the NFF of stifling the growth of football in Nigeria, through the misappropriation of grants from FIFA and CAF, citing the questionable handling of $1m the NFF got from FIFA to prepare the Super Eagles for the 2002 World Cup.

Between 2015 and 2025, NFF allegedly received development funds in excess of $25m from FIFA and CAF with no proportional investment to justify the huge amount of money.

It will be noted that FIFA has sparked widespread reactions in Nigeria after featuring the Birnin Kebbi Stadium on its official X and Facebook pages. The 2023 image of the unfinished facility, built under the FIFA Forward Programme, went viral, prompting outrage and speculation over alleged NFF fund mismanagement.

Speaking on the motion, the Lagos lawmaker noted that in December 2016, “FIFA sent an audit query over the mishandling of $1.1m development grant to NFF and reported that US$802,000 lacked proper documentation, prompting Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, to order an independent audit and asked NFF to account for receipts and disbursements.”

He continued, “The House notes that between 2018 and 2019, NFF officials (including the then President, Amaju Pinnick) faced public criticism and were subject to EFCC and ICPC probes and court actions tied to alleged mismanagement of various funds and sponsorship.

“One of these monies, a $1.2m, is the subject of a news item currently trending on social media, which NFF allegedly used to construct Birnin Kebbi Stadium. “

“We are concerned that a physical inspection of the stadium in Birnin Kebbi showed that it is a substandard facility in terms of quality and quantity, which cannot justify the sum of $1.2m claimed to have been spent on the project by the NFF.”

He, however, added that “The Kenyan Football Federation used the same amount of grant to develop a standard and well-equipped facility, to further raise eyebrows on the profligacy in NFF.”

He added that with another African Cup of Nations around the corner and the World Cup play-off, both involving the Super Eagles of Nigeria, “There is a need to take decisive action on further misuse of public funds by the leadership of NFF.”

The motion was unanimously endorsed and referred to the House Committee on Sports to probe NFF finances from 2015 to date.

It also resolved to invite the leadership of NFF to appear before the committee with documents showing receipts and expenditures of grants.

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