FIFA managed $1.19m Kebbi stadium project directly – Dikko denies allegation of financial misappropriation
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has dismissed allegations of financial misappropriation involving the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and a $1.19 million FIFA fund for the Birnin-Kebbi mini-stadium project.
Dikko clarified that the NFF never received or managed the money, saying the project was handled directly by FIFA under its Forward Programme.
He made the explanation while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today in response to public concerns over the stadium’s unfinished state, which resurfaced after a photo shared by FIFA on social media went viral.
“No one collected the money,” Dikko said. “FIFA manages its projects directly. The job of the NFF is to provide the land and specify what it wants. At the end of the day, FIFA appoints and pays the contractor directly.”
According to Dikko, this model is standard practice for FIFA development projects, which are closely monitored to ensure transparency. He noted that as someone who had delivered the first FIFA Goal project in Nigeria, he understood the process and could confirm that the NFF had no direct access to the funds.
The NSC chairman attributed the modest appearance of the Kebbi facility to Nigeria’s fluctuating exchange rate, explaining that the project was approved in 2015 when the dollar rate was much lower. He said delays in securing land meant the actual contract was not signed until 2020, by which time costs had risen sharply.
Dikko further clarified that the viral photo showed only the first phase of the project, which, according to him, was fully completed as planned after a public tender process.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Sports has launched an investigation into the NFF’s management of FIFA and CAF grants, with the Kebbi mini-stadium project forming a key part of the inquiry.
