The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has dismissed allegations that funds provided by FIFA for the construction of a mini-stadium in Kebbi State were misused, insisting that every dollar was managed and disbursed directly by the world football governing body.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Dikko said that contrary to widespread public perception, no Nigerian official had access to the $1.2 million FIFA Forward Programme grant earmarked for the project.
“That is where people are getting it wrong. No one collected the money.
“FIFA handled the project directly — from appointing consultants to paying contractors. The NFF only provided land and outlined the project’s requirements, ” he said.
The NSC boss stressed that he was not defending the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), but wanted to correct misconceptions about how FIFA-funded projects are administered.
“As the head of sports in Nigeria, what happens to the NFF affects the entire sports ecosystem. It’s important people understand how FIFA projects work,” he added.
Dikko, who once served as a manager of FIFA development projects, explained that the Kebbi mini-stadium initiative was not valued using current exchange rates.
The proposal, he said, was first approved in 2015, with procurement beginning a year later.
“This project isn’t $1.2 million in today’s value. When it was approved in 2015, that amount was worth about N300 million. That was the project’s estimated value at the time, ” he said.
He attributed delays in execution to challenges with land acquisition and documentation, noting that these issues pushed the signing of contracts and commencement of work to 2020.
“Before signing, FIFA conducted a transparent tender process. The photos circulating online only show the first phase of the project, not the completed structure,” Dikko explained.
The Kebbi mini-stadium, located in Birnin Kebbi, came under intense scrutiny after FIFA shared an image of the facility on its social media platforms earlier this month.
The post triggered public backlash, with critics questioning how a global sports grant of over $1 million could produce what appeared to be a basic sports arena.
Dikko, however, maintained that the facility met FIFA’s design and project standards under its Forward Development Programme, and that all disbursements were handled with full transparency.
“FIFA remains entirely responsible for the project’s funding, supervision, and delivery. No Nigerian body or official handled the money,” he insisted.
The House of Representatives Committee on Sports has opened a probe into the use of FIFA and CAF development funds by the Nigerian Football Federation.
Lawmakers said the Kebbi mini-stadium would serve as a key focus in the ongoing investigation into transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s sports administration.
Dikko welcomed the investigation, expressing confidence that official documentation and correspondence with FIFA would confirm that the funds were used properly.
“We operate under global standards. Everything about that project is documented, traceable, and auditable,” he said.
