A former President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has refuted allegations of funds mismanagement linked to the FIFA Goal Project in Kebbi State, describing the controversy as “completely misconstrued.”
The uproar followed FIFA’s recent post on social media showing an image of the half-completed Benin-Kebbi Stadium, one of several projects under FIFA’s Goal Project initiative aimed at boosting football infrastructure across Nigeria. The post sparked outrage among Nigerians, many of whom questioned how funds allocated for the project were utilised.
Reacting to the backlash in an interview with ARISE News, Pinnick defended the transparency of the process, insisting that every kobo spent was properly accounted for under FIFA’s strict financial monitoring system.
“If FIFA gives you their money, they audit their money, they know A to Z, and they have standards,” Pinnick said. “So if the contract was about 1.1 million dollars, 1.1 million dollars in 2020, how much was it in naira? Less than 400 million naira. That’s what people don’t know.”
He further explained that the project suffered unavoidable delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the budget remained unchanged despite inflation and other economic challenges.
“Everything went according to plan. And even in the contract, I can share it, it was stated clearly that there was no variation. COVID came, and after COVID, you started building, your workers on site and COVID, everybody had to go. There was no additional dime to the contract, no variation even in spite of COVID,” he said.
The former NFF boss urged Nigerians to verify information before drawing conclusions, emphasising that his administration had always prioritised accountability and the development of football in the country.
“So I just want to appeal, let us get our facts right before we come out to the public and start saying things,” he pleaded. “You can hate Amaju Pinnick, but love Nigerian football. Love Nigerian football.”
Launched globally, FIFA’s Goal Project aims to enhance football infrastructure and governance in member nations. In Nigeria, however, the initiative has drawn mixed reactions, with some commending its intent, while others raised concerns about the incomplete state of several project sites across the country.
