The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the alleged misuse of $25 million in grants received from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The decision was reached during Tuesday’s plenary session following the adoption of a motion co-sponsored by Adedayo Adesola and Nwaeke Uche.
While presenting the motion, Adesola, who represents the Apapa Federal Constituency of Lagos, explained that the NFF had received development funds from FIFA and CAF between 2015 and 2025 amounting to over $25 million. He alleged that despite the huge inflow of capital from these football bodies, there was little or nothing tangible to justify the expenditure.
The lawmaker recalled that in December 2016, FIFA had issued an audit query to the NFF over the alleged mishandling of a $1.1 million development grant. According to him, FIFA’s audit report revealed that about $802,000 of the funds lacked proper documentation, prompting then Sports Minister Solomon Dalung to order an independent audit and direct the NFF to account for all receipts and disbursements.
Adesola further noted that between 2018 and 2019, officials of the NFF, including its former president, Amaju Pinnick, faced public criticism and were subjected to investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), as well as court actions related to alleged mismanagement of various funds and sponsorship monies.
He cited a particular case involving $1.2 million, which the NFF reportedly used for the construction of the Birnin Kebbi Stadium. He observed that physical inspection of the facility revealed a substandard structure in both quality and scope, which, according to him, did not justify the $1.2 million expenditure. Adesola added that, by comparison, the Kenyan Football Federation had used a similar amount to build a standard, well-equipped facility.
The lawmaker emphasized the need for decisive action to prevent further misuse of public funds by the NFF leadership, especially as the country prepares for upcoming continental and global football tournaments such as the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup.
Following the presentation, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the motion to a voice vote, and it was unanimously adopted. Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Sports to summon the leadership of the NFF and conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged mismanagement of the FIFA and CAF grants.
