FIFA to splash N1.4bn on Nigerian Football Federation

THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is set to receive a massive fi­nancial boost from world soccer ruling body FIFA.

The world soccer govern­ing body said yesterday that she would from next year be increasing her financial support to member federations.

According to a release by FIFA, the cash support would represent a 312 percent increment.

The financial support to member associations for football develop­ment is to jump to $5m (about N1.4bn) per every  four-year cycle from the former figure of $1.6m with effect from 2017.

Under the previous pro­gramme, each federation got an annual support of $400,000 to help in administering the game in the country.

Following the bumper increase, the NFF will now receive $1, 250, 000 every year to support the specific programmes to be dictated by FIFA.

The process for the im­plementation commences from June 1, 2017.

FIFA is also increasing her financial support for the six confederations to enable them do more to develop football in their regions.

Confederations will now receive $40m per four-year cycle for football development, up from $22m.

On the home front, widespread media reports that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF had secured a $1.5 million bond with the Nige­rian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC to pay the would be Super Eagles foreign coach, has been dismissed as untrue.

Suleiman Yahaya- Kwande, who is the Chairman of the NFF’s Media and Publicity Committee came out to refute the story and said nothing of such has been agreed.

“The story is the fig­ment of the imagination of the writers. Nobody in the NFF or NNPC dis­cussed the matter of sal­ary of Eagles’ Coach and there is no iota of truth in it,” he told Supersports. com.