Nigeria’s House of Representatives has established a special committee to investigate $25 million in grants received by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The decision came during Tuesday’s plenary session presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Lawmaker Adesola, who moved the motion, linked alleged mismanagement of the funds to the national teams’ declining performance. He highlighted historical financial irregularities including a 2016 FIFA audit that questioned $802,000 from a $1.1 million development grant.
“Between 2018 and 2019, NFF officials including former President Amaju Pinnick faced EFCC and ICPC investigations,” Adesola stated. “These were related to alleged fund mismanagement and sponsorship irregularities.”
The probe specifically targets the $1.2 million reportedly spent on Birnin Kebbi’s mini-stadium. Inspections revealed substandard facilities that lawmakers argue don’t justify the expenditure. “The project’s quality and scale fail to match the allocated funds,” Adesola emphasized.
Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh’s accusations also featured in the debate. He previously questioned how FIFA’s $1 million preparation grant for the 2002 World Cup was utilized.
With AFCON and World Cup qualifiers approaching, lawmakers stressed the urgency. The unanimously adopted motion mandates NFF leadership to present detailed financial records. The committee will examine all FIFA and CAF grants received since 2015.
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