Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has dismissed allegations of misappropriation of the $1.2 million FIFA fund allocated for the construction of a mini-stadium in Kebbi State.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today, Dikko clarified that the funds were never accessed by any Nigerian official, explaining that FIFA directly managed the project from start to finish.
“That is where people are getting it wrong; no one collected the money. FIFA oversees its projects directly — appointing consultants, supervising contracts, and paying contractors,” he said. “The NFF’s role was limited to providing land and stating project requirements.”
He further explained that the project, approved in 2015 and procured in 2016, was not valued at today’s exchange rate. “When approved, the value was about ₦300 million, not the equivalent of $1.2 million today,” he noted.
According to Dikko, delays in documentation and land acquisition pushed the actual commencement of work to 2020, after which FIFA’s appointed contractor began the first phase.
He also addressed concerns over the stadium’s appearance, saying the viral images only showed an incomplete stage of construction. “People just see pictures and assume it’s finished. That was only the first phase,” he clarified.
The mini-stadium, located in Birnin Kebbi, was funded under FIFA’s Forward Programme but came under public criticism after FIFA featured its image on social media, sparking outrage over its perceived quality and cost.
Dikko maintained that FIFA remains responsible for executing and monitoring the project, stressing that all processes were transparent and followed international standards.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Sports has launched an investigation into the NFF’s handling of FIFA and CAF development grants, with the Kebbi mini-stadium project now a central focus of the inquiry.
