Kebbi State Government Exposes NFF on Ownership of FIFA Funded Stadium
- Kebbi State Government has clarified the ownership of the FIFA-funded stadium located in North West Nigeria
- The Nigeria Football Federation has come under fire from football critics on social media
- The world football governing body showcased a $1.2 million project on its social media header
The Kebbi State Government has opened up on the FIFA-funded stadium located in North West Nigeria.
The stadium became a subject of discussion when football critic, Big Bird, popularly known as C_Mobike launched a social media campaign demanding transparency from the Nigeria Football Federation.
He demanded answers on how the federation utilised funds received from FIFA and CAF over the past decades, claiming little progress had been made in grassroots or institutional development, which had hampered age-grade football.
Source: Twitter
C_Mobike alleged that since 2016, the NFF had received roughly $10 million (₦150 billion) through the FIFA Forward Programme, an initiative designed to promote football infrastructure worldwide.
NFF responds to claims
The Nigeria Football Federation has urged individuals to stop the spread of misinformation when they do not understand FIFA's funding processes.
According to NFF official website, the funds from both FIFA and CAF are meant for specific projects and cannot be diverted or withdrawn for other purposes.
The statement read that each project funded by the world football governing body undergoes strict auditing.
The NFF explained that the body has regularly presented its audited account, prepared by auditors, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (known for its global credibility and integrity), on the floor of the Congress at every Annual General Assembly.
Kebbi State opens up
The Chairman, Kebbi State Football Association, Abubakar Ladan, said the FIFA-funded stadium is being controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation and not the State Government.
According to Daily Post, Ladan explained that the state government only provided the land where the stadium is situated.
Source: Getty Images
He noted that the NFF are in charge of the management, who in turn run the day-to-day activities of the facility. He said:
"For clarity's sake, Kebbi State Government provided the land for the construction of the FIFA stadium, but the management and operations are run by the Nigeria Football Federation.
"The stadium was completed under the leadership of former NFF president Amaju Pinnk and was inaugurated by FIFA officials in 2023 and has since been in active use."
Ladan said the stadium serves as the home ground for Kebbi United FC and Zamfara United FC during the 2024/25 Nigeria National League (NNL). He said:
"After the commissioning, the stadium has helped host several football competitions, including the 2024 Governor’s Cup and National League One matches.”
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Ganiyu Oloyede emphasised the need for content creators to always verify information before making it public.
Oloyede noted that spreading unverified reports can tarnish the country’s image in the eyes of the international community and damage Nigeria’s reputation. He said:
“I support the call for accountability, but we should not allow emotions to becloud our judgment. We can call out the leadership of the NFF, but it must be done in a way that doesn’t portray the nation negatively.
"While calling out our leaders, we must do so in a more responsible manner.”
NFF confirms owing Falcons
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria Football Federation President Ibrahim Gusau has reacted to the widespread rumours that the Super Falcons of Nigeria are owed allowances as far back as 2021.
Reports in the media claimed that the players are owed match bonuses dating back to 2021 amid other issues in their camp in Morocco as the tournament progresses.
Source: Legit.ng
