Controversy as FIFA showcases Kebbi stadium amid NFF fund row

Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

FIFA’s use of a picture of the Birnin Kebbi Stadium, a venue supported by FIFA and NFF, as the new profile banner on its official social media platforms has caused controversy in Nigeria.

On Saturday, the image of Kebbi State’s partially finished mini-stadium went viral on social media, especially X, and sparked discussion over suspected mishandling of funding intended for grassroots football development.

FIFA and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, collaborated to carry out the initiative, which was started in 2020 as part of the FIFA Forward Programme.

However, in the midst of fresh accusations of corruption, social media users took FIFA’s statement as a subtly critical look at the NFF.

The NFF was previously accused by football critic Chinedu Mobike of mismanaging $1.2 million intended for two stadiums in Delta State, Kebbi and Ugborodo, that were sponsored by FIFA. He asserted in a widely shared video that even after the monies were provided, the projects were still unfinished.

In a statement released on October 24, the NFF refuted the claims, stating that all FIFA and CAF funding is linked to particular projects and subject to frequent audits. It further asserted that all FIFA Forward projects are carried out in accordance with international compliance standards, dismissing the figures that were making the rounds online as “fictitious.”

FIFA’s social media update sparked public outrage despite the clarification, with many Nigerians considering it a disgrace to the nation’s football administration.

Some supported FIFA’s move as acknowledging a development effort, while others characterized it as a covert message exposing the NFF’s ineffectiveness and lack of accountability.

According to FIFA, the Birnin Kebbi mini-stadium project, which reportedly cost $1.18 million, was opened by Governor Nasir Idris in 2023 as part of the organization’s mission to support grassroots football in Nigeria.

FIFA has not yet made a formal statement on why it chose to use the image of the Kebbi stadium on its social media banner.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.