Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for allegedly failing to deliver a FIFA-funded stadium promised for Anambra State.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Obi said officials from the Sports Federation had informed him during his tenure as governor that Awka had been selected as one of six locations for the construction of a FIFA-standard stadium, fully funded by the global football body.
According to him, the state government immediately allocated land for the project after assurances that it would be executed through the Federal Ministry of Sports. However, he said the project was never implemented.
“Believing that such a major project was underway, we channelled our resources toward constructing mini-stadiums across the state to encourage grassroots sports,” Obi stated. “We commissioned the Chuba Ikpeazu Memorial Stadium and the Godwin Achebe Stadium in Onitsha South, among others. But nothing came of the promised FIFA project.”
The former governor expressed disappointment over what he described as the “squandering of opportunities” meant to empower Nigerian youths through sports development. He called for an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of FIFA funds, saying such a probe could reveal deeper issues within the NFF.
The NFF, however, denied the allegations, insisting that all funds received from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are audited annually by external auditors.
In a statement on Friday, the football body said the funds are tied to specific purposes and are managed under strict financial regulations, with compliance and auditing at every stage of implementation.
