CHAIRMAN of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has denied allegations of misappropriation of the $1.2 million FIFA fund meant for the construction of the mini-stadium in Kebbi State.
Dikko, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, stated that no one collected the money, insisting that FIFA directly managed the project funds.
“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 project structure, the governing body appoints consultants, supervises contracts, and pays contractors directly, leaving the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) with no access to the funds.
“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,” Dikko said.
The NSC chairman noted that the project was not valued at today’s exchange rate, clarifying that it was first approved in 2015, and procurement began in 2016.
“This project is not $1.2 million of today. When it was approved in 2015, the value was about ₦300 million. That was what the project was worth at that time,” he explained.
He added that delays in land acquisition and documentation pushed the foundation and contract signing to 2020, after which FIFA’s appointed contractor commenced work.
“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,” Dikko stated.
The mini-stadium project in Birnin Kebbi, funded under FIFA’s Forward Programme, has faced intense scrutiny following widespread criticism of its appearance and value.
The controversy gained traction when FIFA used the stadium’s image on its social media banner, prompting public outrage and calls for an investigation.
Dikko reaffirmed that FIFA remains responsible for the project’s execution, insisting that the funds were handled transparently and according to global standards.
The House of Representatives Committee on Sports has since opened an investigation into the NFF’s management of FIFA and CAF development grants, with the Kebbi project serving as a major reference point in the probe.