The Chairman of the Kebbi State Football Association, Abubakar Ladan, has dismissed reports alleging that funds for the FIFA Goal Project in Birnin Kebbi were mismanaged and that the facility was left uncompleted.
Speaking to journalists in Birnin Kebbi, Chika Ladan clarified that the mini stadium project was fully completed over two years ago and was commissioned by the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, in collaboration with FIFA officials.
He explained that there had been several insinuations that the project was not completed or was poorly executed and funds were misappropriated by the Nigeria Football Federation.
The FA chairman, reaffirmed that the facility has hosted numerous football competitions, both national and local, with Kebbi United Football Club using it as its home ground during the last football season, he also added that Zamfara United also relocated to Kebbi to use the facility.
According to him, the project was directly managed by FIFA, which appointed the contractor and consultant through an international competitive bidding process won by Nigerian firms.
The project, valued at 1.8 million US dollars, equivalent to about 400 million naira at the time, covered the construction of a modern playing pitch, a 250 seat pavilion, a medical clinic, dressing rooms for teams and officials, perimeter fencing, landscaping, and maintenance equipment.
Chika Ladan emphasized that the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mr Shehu Dikko, had already provided a detailed clarification on the project’s implementation, stressing that the funds were not handled by any local body but by FIFA itself.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Kebbi State Chapter, Mansur Senchi, condemned the circulation of false reports about the project.
He said it was unacceptable for someone to sit in another part of the country and write, unfounded stories, adding that such acts would no longer be tolerated.
He expressed appreciation to former NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, for his role in initiating the project, while pledging continuous support for the current NFF leadership under Ibrahim Gusau and the General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi.
The FIFA funded mini stadium in Birnin Kebbi recently drew online criticism after its image was featured on FIFA’s social media page, prompting allegations of fund mismanagement.
The Kebbi FA therefore urged the public to disregard misleading information and to appreciate the facility as one of the key sports development milestones achieved under the FIFA Forward Programme in Nigeria.
