Our football started its free fall from late 2014, when the “Olori Ebi” of our football took over as President of the NFF.
Nigerians must recall that we won the Nations Cup in 2013 in South Africa under the late coach, Stephen Keshi, of blessed memory, with Alhaji Aminu Maigari as NFF President. The nucleus of that 2013 team were home-based players. We never built on that achievement.
When “Olori Ebi” assumed office in late 2014, he jettisoned the NFF development programme on the ground and immediately went on a wild goose chase for sons of immigrant Nigerians based in Europe, most of whom were average players. The negative impact of that obsession affected the morale of our home-based players.
His second mission was to chase FIFA and CAF top offices at the detriment of our domestic and international football, even without the requisite experience. Some of us predicted that those positions were not being pursued in the interest of Nigeria and that it would end in disgrace.
What is happening now, after 12 years? The failure is now glaring for all Nigerians to see.
The worst part of the entire saga is the entrenched corruption, lack of accountability, and absolute recklessness in the handling of NFF finances.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup grant of $8.4 million United States dollars was allegedly misappropriated. The FIFA 2018 World Cup grant of $10 million United States dollars allegedly disappeared into thin air.
FIFA Forward 1.0: $3.75 million United States dollars was received by the NFF between 2016 and 2019, at $1.25 million United States dollars annually for operational and developmental funding. The $3.75 million under FIFA Forward 1.0 was primarily the standard entitlement of the NFF for operational/running costs, administration, competitions, governance, and football development activities.
Sadly, these same items are captured in the NFF annual budget to the Federal Government, and the Federal Government provides these funds by way of appropriation through the National Assembly to the federation account annually.
In the FIFA Forward 2.0 cycle between 2019 and 2022, $6 million United States dollars was received in tranches.
In the FIFA Forward 1.0 and 2.0 cycles, what the NFF has to show Nigerians is only the substandard mini-stadium in Kebbi State.
In the just-concluded FIFA Forward 3.0 cycle, 2023–2026, the Nigeria Football Federation received $8 million United States dollars in tranches for the following purposes:
(a) Operational running costs — $5 million United States dollars. Of course, these same items are captured in the NFF budget to the Federal Government.
(b) Specific development/infrastructure projects — $3 million United States dollars.
Aside from these funds, a separate USD 4,879,570 was provided by FIFA for the Abuja Technical Centre, accommodation, and pitches project.
There are several other streams of FIFA and CAF funding and annual grants that are not mentioned here. Let us leave out the funds generated from sponsorships in the last 12 years, as well as the Federal Government’s funding and interventions.
The problem of Nigerian football is not just a total overhaul of its electoral and governance structure. The real deep-rooted cancer planted 12 years ago is corruption, and it is time to cure that cancer.
Harrison Jalla
Chairman, Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Initiative
