PFAN Task Force, NFF disagree over ‘abandoned’ FIFA Goal Projects

Jalla urges NFF to probe $7.7m grant
About seven years ago, world football governing body, FIFA, initiated a four-year pilot financial assistance scheme for all its members. Titled FIFA Forward 1.0 and 2.0., it was meant to help federations in the development of infrastructure, such as secretariat, mini stadiums, technical training centres and befitting camping facilities for all category of the national teams (male and female). 
 
The 2014 to 2022 Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) reportedly received a total of $10 million from FIFA in tranches from 2017-2022, out of which $3.2 million was said to have been allocated to building FIFA Goal Projects in Ugborodo, Delta State and Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. That was in 2016.
 
Seven years down the line, the two Goal Projects have reportedly been abandoned, with nothing to show for the money earmarked for them.
 

“The dividends of these funds from FIFA is glaring in other African countries like Senegal, Morocco, The Gambia and Cameroun. The contractor handling the Ugborodo project was alleged to have received  $800,000 so far from the NFF, while what was paid to the Birnin Kebbi contractor remained undisclosed,” he stated.
 
Jalla revealed that on February 9, 2023, he paid a fact-finding visit to the FIFA Goal Project site at Ugborodo, adding: “Before then, on December 13, 2022, I made a post on the current state of the project, but in a swift reaction, the contractor handling the project attacked me, claiming it was not true. He even posted videos and pictures purporting that work was on going at the project site. I decided to snap several pictures on February 11, 2023 at the project site, which speaks for itself.

“The site remains abandoned and deserted. As I said, the FIFA Goal Projects were scheduled to be time bound, tied to specific budget within a time frame. They were not conceived to be open ended in terms of delivery,” Jalla stated. 
 
Among other questions, Jalla asked: “Will FIFA move into forward 3.0 without paying the NFF for the projects executed in Forward 2.0? What happened to the $7.7 million balance of $10 million received from Forward 1.0 and 2.0?

“The NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, should, as a matter of urgency, and a departure from the filthy past, set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the various grants and assisted programmes’ funds received from FIFA by the NFF between 2014-2022.

“The current successes recorded by Morocco and Senegal are propelled by the frugal and prudent utilisation of FIFA development funds.”

Reacting to Jalla’s allegations, NFF Secretary General, Sanusi Muhammad, said the claims are not true.

He said: “It isn’t in my character to respond to issues like this, but I know where this is coming from. I am equally surprised that Jalla will post something that is not correct, thereby misleading people.

“For the purpose of record, FIFA Forward money is not released to Federations to spend. The money is tied to projects and activities, which have to be approved, monitored by FIFA.”

Sanusi added that NFF had a total of $4 million for the last cycle Jalla was talking about and not $10 million.
The money is not given to the Federation, but kept with FIFA to be released as the need arises. Only $2.3 million of the $4 million is being utilised for the projects in Kebbi and Ugborodu.

“It is important to note that the money ($4m) is kept with FIFA, to be released only as the need arise, passing through different FIFA due diligent stages: FIFA Regional Office, FIFA Compliance and Member Associations before going to FIFA Finance for payment to the beneficiary / contractor, through the Federation.

“For example, when FIFA approved the Kebbi and Delta Projects, they released first payments to the two contractors through NFF. Federations are only mandated to release to the contractor what was released by FIFA.”

According to Sanusi, “before the next payment, FIFA requested an on the spot assessment from the engineer for the project, who is also being paid by FIFA from the same FIFA Forward funds. FIFA would also send its representative for an on the stop assessment, usually comprising FIFA Regional Officers, FIFA Consultant from another country, Local FIFA Consultant and the representatives of the Federation.”