The Arewa Youth Sports Forum (AYSF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order a full-scale probe into an alleged ₦17 billion released to the football house in January 2024 for the payment of allowances and bonuses to national teams.

In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the Forum, Comrade Yohanna Pam, made available to The Guardian, on Friday, the group expressed deep concern over what it described as the “systemic collapse, financial recklessness, and institutionalised corruption” currently plaguing Nigerian football.

The Forum noted that the ₦17 billion intervention fund released by the Federal Government in January 2024 was meant to clear outstanding bonuses, camp allowances, and to properly prepare all national teams for international engagements.

However, rather than seeing improved welfare and results, Nigerian football has witnessed its worst run in history, culminating in the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 1991, and the senior national team’s struggle across all fronts.

“Instead of accountability, we are now faced with allegations of misappropriation of public funds. Instead of progress, we are faced with international shame as our Super Falcons were forced to drag the NFF to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), over unpaid bonuses and entitlements that the Federal Government had already released,” the statement read.

The AYSF further stated that the NFF, under its current leadership, has become synonymous with corruption allegations, lack of transparency, poor planning, and executive arrogance.
According to the Forum, the continuous damage being done to the image of the country in global football can no longer be tolerated.

The group also urged the President to initiate a total restructuring of the NFF architecture to entrench transparency, professionalism, and accountability. It called for the inclusion of credible stakeholders, former players, technical experts, and youth representatives in the management of the game, rather than what it termed “a recycling of political appointees with no regard for football development.”

The Arewa Youth Sports Forum warned that if urgent steps are not taken, Nigerian football risks becoming completely irrelevant on the world stage, with sponsors withdrawing, talents wasting away, and the passion of over 200 million Nigerians being toyed with.

“Nigerian football belongs to the people. The Glass House must be cleansed. The era of impunity, financial opacity, and executive rascality must end now,” the Forum stated.