Peter Obi, the 2023 Labor Party presidential candidate, has condemned the alleged misuse of FIFA funds by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), describing it as another sign of Nigeria’s deep corruption problem.
Obi said FIFA’s report that funds for stadium and youth football projects were mismanaged was “sickening and shameful,” reflecting broader failures in resource management.
He recalled that during his tenure as Anambra governor, FIFA had promised to build a standard stadium in Awka, but the project never happened. “Years later, nothing came of it, so we built the Awka Stadium ourselves,” he said.
Obi added that despite Nigeria receiving about $25 million from FIFA and CAF since 2013, there is “little or nothing to show,” citing the $1.2 million stadium in Kebbi State as “a national embarrassment.”
He said corrupt leaders, not reformers, are the ones “demarketing Nigeria,” and urged a return to integrity and accountability to rebuild the nation.
