Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has denied allegations that $1.2 million released by FIFA for the construction of a mini-stadium in Kebbi State was misappropriated.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Dikko clarified that the funds for the project were managed entirely by FIFA, not by any Nigerian body or official.
"That is where people are getting it wrong; no one collected the money. I’m not here to defend the NFF; they can defend themselves.
"But as the leader of sports in Nigeria, what happens to the NFF affects the entire sports ecosystem. So we need to set the record straight for people to understand how this works," he said.
He explained that under FIFA's Forward Programme, the global football governing body directly oversees its infrastructure projects, from appointment of consultants to payment of contractors.
"I was a manager of FIFA projects, and I know how FIFA works. Nobody collected the money because FIFA manages its projects directly. The NFF’s role is to provide the land and state what they want. FIFA then appoints consultants, goes through procurement, and pays the contractor directly to deliver the project," he said.
Dikko also clarified that the project’s valuation was based on 2015 rates, not current economic conditions.
"This project is not $1.2 million of today. When it was approved in 2015, the value was about N300 million. That was what the project was worth at that time," he said.
According to him, the project suffered delays due to issues with land acquisition and documentation, leading to the actual foundation work and contract signing in 2020.
"Before the project was signed, there was a public tender and procurement process. People just see a picture and assume it’s incomplete. That structure shown was only the first phase of the project," he said.
The mini-stadium in Birnin Kebbi, built under FIFA’s Forward Programme, has come under heavy criticism after FIFA used an image of the facility on its social media page, triggering outrage over its modest appearance compared to the funds allocated.
The controversy has since drawn the attention of the National Assembly and the House of Representatives Committee on Sports has opened an investigation into how the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) handled FIFA and CAF development grants, with the Kebbi project now central to the probe.
Dikko maintained that FIFA remains fully responsible for the project’s execution and funding, insisting that all processes were transparent and in line with global standards.
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