FORMER President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has dismissed allegations of misappropriation surrounding the controversial FIFA Goal Project in Kebbi State, insisting that every dollar disbursed for the facility was properly accounted for and audited.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the controversy erupted after FIFA, in a social media post, shared a photograph showing the Kebbi stadium project—in its current, incomplete state—under the FIFA Forward Programme.
The image sparked widespread criticism from Nigerians who questioned how the $1.2 million reportedly allocated to the project failed to produce a substantial sporting facility.
Responding to the public backlash, Pinnick appeared on ARISE News on Wednesday where he described the reactions as the product of misinformation and unrealistic expectations about the nature of FIFA’s funding intervention.
“If FIFA gives you their money, they audit their money, they know A to Z, and they have standards,” Pinnick asserted, explaining that the project was strictly monitored under FIFA’s financial compliance rules.
“The contract was about $1.1 million in 2020. Converted to the naira then, that was less than ₦400 million. Everything went according to plan; there was no variation, despite the disruption caused by COVID-19.”
He explained that the project stalled due to pandemic-related restrictions and funding limitations, stressing that critics were falsely assuming the project was meant to be a full-scale stadium.
His defence aligns with earlier clarification by the Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Kabiru Amadu, who stated that FIFA’s development support does not typically involve constructing standard stadiums for countries.
Rather, the funding is targeted at grassroots infrastructure, sporting facilities, and administrative upgrades depending on the federation’s proposals.
Pinnick appealed to Nigerians to show greater understanding, arguing that his stewardship prioritised transparency and progress in Nigerian football.
“You may dislike Amaju Pinnick, but please love Nigerian football. Let us get our facts right before coming out to the public,” he pleaded.
Despite his clarification, concerns persist regarding Nigeria’s utilisation of FIFA project funds.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives announced plans to set up a special investigative committee to probe FIFA and CAF grants totalling $25 million released to the NFF over time.