Questions over how millions of dollars meant to develop Nigerian football were spent have prompted the House of Representatives to open a probe into the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) use of $25 million in grants from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The House also resolved to summon the leadership of the NFF to appear before its Committee on Sports with documents detailing the receipts and expenditures of the grants.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Adedayo Adesola (Lagos State) and Hon. Felix Nwaeke (Rivers State) during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Moving the motion, Hon. Adesola alleged that the mismanagement of FIFA and CAF grants has been a major factor behind the recent poor performances of Nigeria’s national football teams.
He recalled that in December 2016, FIFA issued an audit query over the mishandling of a $1.1 million development grant to the NFF, revealing that $802,000 lacked proper documentation. The matter led then Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, to order an independent audit and direct the NFF to fully account for the receipts and disbursements.
Adesola further noted that between 2018 and 2019, several NFF officials, including former President Amaju Pinnick, faced EFCC and ICPC investigations and court actions linked to alleged mismanagement of federation funds and sponsorship deals.
He cited a recent case involving $1.2 million, which the NFF allegedly spent on the construction of Birnin Kebbi Stadium. According to him, a physical inspection revealed the stadium to be substandard, both in quality and scale, and far from reflecting the reported expenditure.
The lawmaker contrasted this with the Kenyan Football Federation, which used a similar amount to develop a standard, fully equipped sports facility, raising further concerns about financial prudence within the NFF.
Adesola emphasized that with another Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament and World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, ensuring transparency and accountability in the NFF’s financial dealings is essential to restore public trust and revive the fortunes of Nigerian football.
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