Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has updated its X (Twitter) header image to feature the stadium reportedly built for $1.2 million (₦1.752 billion) in Kebbi State by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), sparking widespread criticism and allegations of corruption.
The move immediately triggered outraged reactions from Nigerians, who described the project as substandard and questioned how such a facility could cost over ₦1.7 billion.
Many social media users interpreted FIFA’s action as a subtle mockery of the NFF and Nigeria’s handling of public funds.
Reacting to the development, a user, Stephen Osemwegie, wrote, “The world sees the widespread adoption of corruption as a culture in Nigeria.”
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He added, “Image laundering and propaganda do not do anything for people who refuse to do the right from the public sector to the private sector … NFF is an embarrassment.”
Another commenter, Attama Kuza, described FIFA’s action as “a deliberate mockery”.
Critics said the stadium did not reflect the value of ₦1.752 billion, with one user, HASSAN MUHAMAD, saying, “They know it’s all about corruption; this stadium, even 100m, wasn’t spent on it.”
Some described the facility as poorly constructed, with comments such as “Na farm be this abi stadium?” being widely shared.
Another user, ENGR. OJ, said, “This is embarrassing; the NFF should be ashamed that FIFA is showcasing a $1.2 million ‘stadium’ in Kebbi that clearly reflects misplaced priorities and poor accountability in Nigerian football management.”
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Several Nigerians accused football officials of embezzlement and questioned why such an amount did not produce a befitting sports facility.
One user wrote, “$1.2M keh be like them don scam FIFA,” while another added, “FIFA wants to show the world how greedy our leaders are.”
Others said the incident further exposed the decay in governance and misuse of public resources across the country.
As reactions continued to flood social media, the NFF had yet to issue any statement addressing the controversy.
This incident adds to ongoing questions about transparency in Nigerian sports administration.
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