The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for allegedly failing to deliver a promised FIFA-funded stadium in Anambra State.
In a post shared on X on Monday, Obi reacted to recent reports accusing the NFF of mismanaging FIFA funds that were meant to support grassroots football and stadium development across the country.
According to the former Anambra governor, “officials from the Sports Federation” had informed him during his tenure that Anambra’s capital, Awka, was selected for a major FIFA project.
He recounted that the officials had stated that Awka was “one of six geographical locations for the construction of a FIFA-standard stadium to be fully funded by FIFA.”
“We immediately allocated land for that purpose, and they assured us that the project would be executed through the Federal Ministry of Sports. That was the last we heard of it,” Obi said.
Believing that the FIFA-backed project was in progress, Obi explained that his administration diverted its resources toward constructing smaller stadiums across the state to promote grassroots sports.
“We commissioned the Chuba Ikpeazu Memorial Stadium in Onitsha, as well as the Godwin Achebe Stadium in Onitsha South, among others,” he added.
However, Obi lamented that “nothing came of the promised FIFA project,” saying his government had to develop sporting facilities independently.
Expressing disappointment, Obi condemned what he called the “blatant squandering of opportunities” that could have benefited Nigerian youth. He further asserted that a deeper investigation into the allegations against the NFF “will reveal even worse realities than what we currently know.”
In response to the controversy, the NFF released a statement on Friday, clarifying that all funds received from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) undergo annual external audits.
The federation maintained that such funds are strictly monitored and “tied to specific purposes under strict adherence to financial regulations, compliance, monitoring and auditing at every stage of the project or programme.”
What You Should Know
Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has accused the NFF of failing to deliver a promised FIFA-funded stadium in Awka.
He said his government had provided land for the project, which never materialized. The NFF, however, insists that all FIFA and CAF funds are properly audited and used in line with international financial regulations.
