Nobody Collected FIFA Money!” — NSC Boss Shehu Dikko Breaks Silence on Birnin Kebbi Stadium Scandal
Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has denied allegations of misappropriation of the $1.2 million FIFA fund allocated for the construction of the mini-stadium in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Dikko clarified that no individual or organization in Nigeria collected the FIFA funds, stressing that the global football body directly managed the project.
“That is where people are getting it wrong; no one collected the money. I’m not here to defend the NFF, but as the leader of sports in Nigeria, what happens to the NFF affects the entire sports ecosystem,” he said.
Dikko explained that FIFA’s project management process does not allow funds to pass through the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). Instead, FIFA appoints consultants, oversees procurement, and pays contractors directly.
“I was a manager of FIFA projects, and I know how FIFA works. The NFF’s role is only to provide land and specify the project needs. FIFA handles procurement and payments to the contractor,” he added.
The NSC chairman further clarified that the Kebbi mini-stadium project was not valued at the current exchange rate. It was approved in 2015 and procurement began in 2016, when $1.2 million was equivalent to about ₦300 million.
“This project is not $1.2 million of today. When it was approved in 2015, the value was around ₦300 million,” he explained.
Dikko revealed that delays in land documentation and acquisition pushed the foundation and contract signing to 2020, after which FIFA’s appointed contractor began work.
He emphasized that the structure circulating on social media represents only the first phase of the project.
The Birnin Kebbi mini-stadium, funded under FIFA’s Forward Programme, has come under scrutiny following public criticism of its appearance and cost.
The controversy intensified after FIFA used the stadium’s image in a promotional banner, prompting outrage and calls for an investigation.
Dikko reaffirmed that FIFA remains responsible for the project’s execution and that all funds were handled transparently and according to international standards.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Sports has launched an investigation into the NFF’s management of FIFA and CAF development grants, with the Kebbi project serving as a key focus of the probe.