Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has firmly denied allegations of financial mismanagement surrounding the FIFA Goal Project in Kebbi State, insisting that the claims are “completely misconstrued.”
In a detailed response, Pinnick emphasized that all FIFA-funded initiatives undergo strict financial oversight by the global football governing body, leaving little room for misappropriation.
“FIFA gives you their money, they audit their money, they know A to Z, and they have standards,” Pinnick explained.
According to the former NFF boss, the Kebbi project valued at approximately $1.1 million in 2020 amounted to less than ₦400 million at the exchange rate at the time. He stated that the entire process was executed transparently and within FIFA’s operational guidelines.
“So if the contract was about $1.1 million in 2020, how much was it in naira? Less than ₦400 million. That’s what people don’t know. Everything went according to plan,” he clarified.
Pinnick further disclosed that despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing significant construction delays, no additional funds were requested or approved, as the contract explicitly prohibited variations in cost.
“Even in the contract, it was stated clearly that there was no variation. COVID came, and after COVID, you understand, you started building, you have workers on site, then COVID struck, and everybody had to leave. There was no additional dime added to the contract,” he said.
Pinnick, who led the NFF from 2014 to 2022, urged Nigerians to engage with verified information rather than speculation, stressing the importance of protecting the integrity of Nigerian football governance.
“There was a time I said, listen, you can hate Amaju Pinnick, but love Nigerian football. So I just want to appeal: let us get our facts right,” he concluded.
The comments come amid increased scrutiny over FIFA-funded infrastructure projects in Nigeria, following recent calls from the House Committee on Sports for the NFF to provide clarity on the Kebbi and Delta State Goal Projects.
