NFF General Secretary Sanusi Mohammed, was once quoted as saying that FIFA Forward money (Goal Project) is not released to Federations to spend. That the money is tied to projects and activities, which have to be approved, monitored by FIFA.

In that statement, Sanusi added that NFF had a total of $4 million for the last cycle. He said that the money is not given to the Federation, but kept with FIFA to be released as the need arises. He then confirmed that only $2.3 million of the $4 million is being utilised for the FIFA Goal projects work in Kebbi and Ugborodu.

Quoting his words Sanusi said “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 engineers for the project, who is also being paid by FIFA from the same FIFA Forward funds. FIFA would also send its representatives for an on the spot assessment, usually comprising FIFA Regional Officers, FIFA Consultant from another country, Local FIFA Consultant and the representatives of the Federation.”

This Sanusi's clarifications was after, Harrison Jalla had accused  NFF of connivance in the $7.7m grant released for the two projects in Kebbi and Ugborodu seven years ago, after the world football governing body, FIFA, initiated a four-year pilot financial assistance scheme for all its members. 

Jalla said the Titled FIFA Forward 1.0 and 2.0.,  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). 
 
He alleged that between 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 in 2016.
 
He accused that seven years down the line, the two Goal Projects have reportedly been abandoned, with nothing to show for the money earmarked for them.
 
Though, pictures and counter statements emerged from the contractors to show that the projects were not abandoned. However, facts remain that in Nigeria, we derived joy in embarking of elephant projects which are abandoned on the way, as a way of  siphoning funds. No matter how beautiful the idea of taking the project to Ugborodu was, sinking people's money into the ocean is a waste. Considering the  fact that access to the area water Area is problematic. The concept behind the FIFA project may have been bedeviled with certain criminal tendencies. 

That of Kebbi is acceptable , because the State is very backward in Sports in Nigeria. The completion of certain phase of the project is also a welcome development. At the recent commissioning of the project, Nigeria Football Federation President Ibrahim Gusau was quoted as saying that the project was undertaken by the Nigerian Football Federation NFF as it aims to develop the sports in the Kebbi state which is bordering Niger and Benin Republic and a home to over 4 million people. "My priority has got to be, basically, to improve some of our infrastructure," Ibrahim Gusau, the president of the Nigerian Football Federation said. 

At that occasion, he said that he is  looking forward to seeing how we can come up with a hostel (National Training Academy)  that can keep some of the young talents in the country. 

"The stadium's project received over N400 million or about US $ 1 million IN FUNDING from the world governing football body Forward Program. The pitch will at initial phase house 267 seats.

Gusau, at that occasion confirmed that the  second pitch funded by the FIFA Forward program is under construction in Ugborodo, situated further to the south.

The main goal of the project is the growth of football around the 

Box 18 is forced to ask the rhetorical question if FIFA actually monitors the projects it released funds to, before releasing another, because a recent visit to  the same  project in Bauchi which was initiated  in 2011, showed that the project has been abandoned, the football field now a farmland, while the buildings are now dilapidated, with rodents and reptiles making effective use of them. 

 Been forced  to ask if FIFA actually monitors the funds they release to member Associations before initiating other projects, may not be overzealousness, because, If, FIFA do, I doubt if they would have released other funds to Nigeria to sunk into the Atlantic Ocean in Ugborodu, while the preceding project in Bauchi which was supposed to be second after that of Abuja, has been turned into a farm land, with no football presence there. 

Box 18 reiterates that  the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, should,  as a matter of urgency,  set up an inquiry to investigate the various grants and assisted programmes’ funds received from FIFA by the NFF. This will enable him to know the viability of each of the projects and earliest completion of all, to enhance the development of numerous youths in the country. There is an urgent need to propelled a  prudent utilisation of FIFA development funds in Nigeria. 

He should redirect his attention to these developmental projects that have swing successes to  Morocco and Senegal.