We must change course and steer this rudderless ship in the right direction, but to do that, we must find and throw off board those who derail our journey in the first place.
The tales of corruption in the Nigerian football federation (NFF) are not a recent or rare narrative. These are stories that are as old as the body itself. It is what the organisation has come to exemplify. And this has not been done in isolation, but in sync with the peculiar rot and dysfunction that have come to define the Nigerian state.
Over the weekend, the official X (formerly Twitter) page of FIFA changed the header of its bio to a stadium it financed the construction of in Kebbi state. The world football governing body had given the NFF a whopping $1.2 million to build a mini stadium to boost football at the grassroots level. However, what was built by NFF in Kebbi was nothing more than a levelled open plain covered in artificial synthetic carpet grass and a poorly constructed small pavilion that passes for stands where a handful of people who are fortunate to make it to the vast plain will sit. The stadium has no basic amenities that are expected in a stadium.
Expectedly, the development sparked outrage on X and reignited conversations about the rot and corruption in the nation’s football governing body. But the Kebbi stadium imbroglio is not the first time the NFF has been at the centre of an unsettling corruption and mismanagement scandal. Every leadership of the body has been dogged by one allegation of financial impropriety or the other.
The number of times the NFF has been accused of or indicted for corrupt and sharp practices is diabolically unsettling. The Kebbi stadium scandal is a fraction or tiny bit of the grand larceny orchestrated by the perverse elements that oversee the affairs of the NFF. A brief analysis and cursory breakdown of how these characters have diverted and misappropriated funds meant for the development of the nation’s most popular and important sport will leave many seething with rage.
In 2014, under Amaju Pinnick, the NFF reportedly diverted $8.4 million from FIFA for the Super Eagles’ quarterfinals performance, along with $167,503 in unauthorised office expenses and an extra $310,000 for Ghost friendlies against Bolivia, which they fixed to collect money. In 2015, $801,929 out of the $2.5 million in FIFA forward funds was laundered through undisclosed cash swaps, with no projects built.
Between 2016 and 2018, $4.7 million from the Nike kit deal, $250,000 in World Cup bonuses, and $21.6 million in jersey royalties were funnelled through private firms, circumventing official audits. Millions more were lost to duplicate billing for friendlies and untraceable donations from corporations. From 2019 to 2022, $19.5 million in FIFA grants were siphoned through shady channels, resulting in player boycotts over unpaid winnings.
These funds were meant for youth development and player bonuses but were either misappropriated or siphoned. This rampant mismanagement and pervasive corruption have significantly hampered the improvement and growth of the sport across all levels. The parlous and precarious situation of the nation’s football is laid bare by the performance of the Super Eagles in the just concluded 2026 World Cup Qualifiers where Nigeria was able to secure automatic qualification in a group of Lesotho, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Benin Republic and South Africa. They had to fight hard to secure a second spot that earned them a place in the play-offs.
One cannot help but notice the difference between Nigeria and other African nations that have channelled these funds from FIFA and other sports entities to the appropriate quarters and invested massively in football. Countries like South Africa and Morocco, which have spent enormous resources on the improvement of football and sports facilities, are reaping the benefits today.
We need to take drastic steps to address the situation. The allegations are weighty, and the accusations are too grave to be swept under the carpet. There must be a comprehensive investigation that will include forensic auditing of the NFF books to uncover and unravel the deep rot and impunity that have become the hallmark of the organisation. To revive our football and bring back the glory days, we must take tough and hard decisions that will put an end to the current ignominy.
We must change course and steer this rudderless ship in the right direction, but to do that, we must find and throw off board those who derail our journey in the first place. The reprobates and charlatans that occupy the glass house in Abuja must be kicked out and made to face the full weight of the legal consequences of the destructive action.