Following the controversy surrounding the $1.2m Kebbi mini-stadium project, former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has defended the award and execution of the contract, insisting it followed global standards and Nigeria’s procurement laws.
The project has been at the centre of public criticism since FIFA, in a social-media post, showcased the Kebbi facility as one of its Forward Programme achievements.
The move sparked outrage over its modest appearance despite its reported cost of $1.2 million.
Newsmen reported that many Nigerians questioned how such a small facility could cost nearly $1.2million.
The controversy prompted clarification from NFF Vice President and FIFA Forward Programme Manager, Shehu Dikko, who said in another The Newsmen report that FIFA managed the project directly and that the NFF did not receive or disburse any part of the funds.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, Pinnick dismissed criticisms over the cost and execution of the project, stressing that the NFF followed global standards and FIFA procedures in its implementation.
According to him, the contractor, Aeron Construction Company, won the bid after an open tender process monitored in accordance with the Public Procurement Act“The processes, the protocols, the procedures that were used to award this contract were global and also in line with our public procurement acts.
“Tenders were made, you saw the tenders, and people bid for the job, companies bid for the job. The company that won the job to do the one in Kebbi is not new. Aeron Construction Company, the Abeokuta Stadium they used for the National Sports Festival, he built in 1999. He revamped it for the National Sports Festival.
“He was part of the building of this Teslim Balogun Stadium. He’s done a couple of stadiums. He is a guru in sports infrastructure. And he won the bid,” Pinnick said.
Pinnick explained that the Kebbi mini-stadium project, valued at $1.2 million (about ₦400 million at the time of award), was completed without cost variation, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“And what was the bid? When they say $1.2 million, $1.2 million at that point was N400 million. After going through the processes, he did everything he needed to do. So people should understand this. When I keep emphasizing that even in the face of COVID, there was no variation. Everything he had to do, N400 million at that point.
“They’ll produce a synthetic turf, you fly it in, you take it to Kebbi State, you do stabilization, you do the foundation, you do underground drainage, then come on, 400 million Naira for a project at that point,” he said.
The NFF president, who is also a FIFA council member, clarified that the project was funded through FIFA’s Forward Programme — a development initiative that supports member associations with infrastructure funding under strict guidelines.“I’m a member of FIFA, very proudly. And there are some things that I know that I just want to keep educating the public.
“There’s what’s called an agreement between the MEA, which is the Member Association, and FIFA on what they want to do, it’s called the COA, the contract agreement. Once you agree this is what you want to do, FIFA will look at it in line with their own processes, in line with the statutes.
“If it’s in line with their processes, in terms of forward programs, FIFA accepts it. They sign the agreement, and they implement. NFF is just like a conduit. FIFA pays, and based on the contract, FIFA says once you start, I think they pay about 350,000, it’s a milestone payment. Everything properly done,” Pinnick noted.
He said it was painful to see people cast baseless aspersions on genuine initiatives, adding that such behaviour contributes to the country’s growing reputation challenges internationally.
“So when I hear people speak, it doesn’t only baffle me, it hurts me. You know why? Because when you keep going out screaming, Nigeria is this, Nigeria is that, we have lost a lot because of all this kind of casting of unnecessary aspersions,” he said.
He added that the Kebbi facility has since become home to Kebbi United and Zamfara United football clubs and has hosted several tournaments.
“Let me tell you, the Kebbi Stadium now is home to Kebbi United. It’s home to Zamfara, not even in Kebbi State. And they’ve done a lot of tournaments on that pitch. When FIFA put that pitch on their website, it’s saying that deep in the hinterlands of Nigeria, football is being played,” he said.Pinnick also dismissed suggestions that the project was overpriced, maintaining that its value matched the scope of work and infrastructure involved. He said he was proud of what had been achieved with the funds, describing the stadium as a modest but functional facility that met FIFA standards.
He said, “Why shouldn’t I be proud of it? This is the first one. That’s the stand. That’s $1.2 million. That’s 400 million Naira. It’s a 250-seating capacity. How much is it to build a synthetic turf alone?”
He continued, “Listen, everything that was done here, I’m telling you 100%, was done according to the books. (So this is 1.2 million dollars.) At this point, it’s about 1.7 billion naira. How much is it to build this? How much do you spend on buying fuel to come here today?
“So then this was N400 million at that point. Let’s be real and let’s be very objective. It’s not just by saying, Look at the pitch. This pitch alone, do you know what’s based on that pitch? Do you know what’s on the base, the engineering, the construction on the base of that pitch? So that it doesn’t get flooded”
Responding to questions about other controversies involving the federation, including allegations from a former associate, Pinnick declined to comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
“I respect the courts of the land, and when I say something is subjudice, trust me, it’s subjudice. I am not going to answer some of those questions, but trust me, it will only take some time for the truth to eventually come out,” he said.