Reps to Investigate NFF Over Alleged Misuse of $25 Million FIFA, CAF Grants

The House of Representatives has resolved to launch a probe into the alleged mismanagement of $25 million reportedly received by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) between 2015 and 2025.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Adedayo Adesola (Lagos) and Hon. Felix Nwaeke (Rivers), calling for a full-scale investigation into how the NFF utilized international football development grants over the years.

The motion, titled “Misuse of FIFA and CAF Grants by the Nigerian Football Federation,” raised concerns about long-standing financial irregularities in the federation, which lawmakers said have negatively affected the performance of Nigeria’s national teams.

According to Adesola, repeated reports of mismanagement and lack of transparency have eroded public confidence in the NFF. He recalled that in 2016, FIFA queried the federation over its handling of a $1.1 million development grant, revealing that $802,000 of the amount had no proper documentation. The situation, he noted, led then Sports Minister Solomon Dalung to order an independent audit and demand accountability from the NFF.

Adesola further cited investigations between 2018 and 2019, when former NFF President Amaju Pinnick and other officials faced scrutiny from the EFCC and ICPC over alleged embezzlement of sponsorship and grant funds.

The lawmaker also referenced a controversial $1.2 million grant supposedly used for the construction of the Birnin Kebbi Stadium, describing the facility as “substandard and grossly unworthy” of the reported cost.

“We are concerned that a physical inspection of the Birnin Kebbi Stadium shows it is a substandard facility, which cannot justify the $1.2 million the NFF claimed to have spent on it,” Adesola said.

The House has directed relevant committees to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the NFF’s financial dealings with FIFA and CAF, with findings expected to guide future accountability measures in Nigerian sports administration.