Peter Obi condemns corruption in Nigerian sports, urges national accountability
Peter Obi
Abdullateef Fowewe
Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has strongly criticised the widespread corruption in Nigeria’s sports sector, linking it to the country’s broader challenges of insecurity, poverty, and youth unemployment.
Speaking on X, Obi described recent FIFA revelations about mismanaged funds in Nigerian football as “sickening and shameful.”
“The most heartbreaking reality remains the entrenched corruption that permeates every facet of our nation—especially in the critical sectors that could help lift Nigeria in these challenging times,” Obi wrote.
He recalled his experience as Governor of Anambra State when he was informed about a planned FIFA-funded stadium project in Awka that never materialised.
“We allocated land, encouraged grassroots sports with mini-stadiums, but years later, nothing came of the promised FIFA project,” Obi lamented.
Highlighting the mismanagement of FIFA and CAF funds totaling approximately $25 million since 2013, he condemned the state of facilities such as the $1.2 million Kebbi Stadium, calling it “a national embarrassment.”
Obi urged Nigerians to recognise corrupt leaders as the true “demarketers” of the country, not those who expose the rot.
“Our youths are our most prized assets, yet we have destroyed their future and then labeled them ‘Yahoo boys,’ when the real culprits are those who robbed the nation,” he said.
Concluding with a call for integrity, Obi said, “If we truly desire to rebuild our country, we must begin with accountability in every sector. A New Nigeria is POssible.”
