The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) over alleged mismanagement of about $25 million in grants received from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) between 2015 and 2025.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance during Tuesday’s plenary session, co-sponsored by Hon. Adedayo Adesola (Lagos) and Hon. Felix Nwaeke (Rivers).
The motion, titled “Need to Stop Further Misuse of FIFA and CAF Grants by the Nigerian Football Federation,” accused the NFF of poor accountability and wasteful spending, which lawmakers say have contributed to Nigeria’s dwindling football performance.
Adesola cited past incidents, including FIFA’s 2016 audit query over a $1.1 million development grant, of which $802,000 allegedly lacked proper documentation. The issue had prompted the then Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, to order an independent audit.
He also recalled that between 2018 and 2019, NFF officials — including then-president Amaju Pinnick — faced multiple investigations by the EFCC and ICPC over alleged financial irregularities and sponsorship fund mismanagement.
According to the lawmaker, one of the most recent controversies involves a $1.2 million grant purportedly used for the construction of the Birnin Kebbi Stadium, which was later found to be substandard.
“The same amount of money was used by the Kenyan Football Federation to develop a world-class facility, further raising questions about the NFF’s financial prudence,” Adesola said.
He added that with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, it is imperative to ensure transparency and prevent further misuse of public funds in Nigerian football administration.
The motion received unanimous support during plenary, presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who announced the establishment of a Special Investigative Committee to review all NFF financial transactions from 2015 to date.
The committee is expected to summon the NFF leadership and demand full documentation of all grants received and how they were expended.
