No one collected FIFA funds for Kebbi project, says Shehu Dikko

Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has dismissed claims of misappropriation of the $1.2 million FIFA fund allocated for the construction of a mini-stadium in Kebbi State.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Dikko clarified that no individual or organisation in Nigeria received the money, explaining that FIFA directly managed and disbursed 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.

Dikko explained that under FIFA’s project structure, the global football body appoints consultants, supervises contracts, and pays contractors directly. According to him, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) only provides land and specifications, while FIFA handles the entire procurement and payment process.

“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,” he said.

He further explained that the project’s valuation was based on the 2015 exchange rate when it was approved, not the current value. “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,” Dikko added.

He said delays in land acquisition and documentation shifted the contract signing and project commencement to 2020. “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,” he explained.

The Kebbi mini-stadium project, funded under FIFA’s Forward Programme, has drawn public criticism after images of the facility sparked outrage over its appearance and cost. The controversy deepened when FIFA shared the stadium’s photo on its official social media banner, prompting widespread condemnation and demands for accountability.

Dikko, however, maintained that FIFA remains solely responsible for the project’s execution, insisting the funds were handled transparently and in line with 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 being a major focus of the probe.