Relief Grants: Clubs, leagues in Nigeria to smile within two weeks – Pinnick

Francis Achi

Everything working out fine, clubs and major leagues in Nigeria will smile to the bank in two weeks time, www.totorinews.com reports.

Amaju Pinnick, President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), gave this hint while speaking as the special guest at the official Instagram handle of NFF Live interview session on Thursday afternoon.

Pinnick informed that it has not been easy for the Federation with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, but plans are being made for effective distribution and judicious use of the funds at the disposal of the NFF.

Despite the misgivings some Nigerians expressed over the funds from FIFA and CAF, he informed that the Federation will not play to the gallery, noting that the Federation is still expecting funds from FIFA and CAF and these funds will be added to the funds from other sponsors and partners of the NFF and the funds will then be deployed to the clubs in the major leagues, adding that the NFF executive committee will likely have a meeting next week to finalise the issue and other matters.

“NFF will not play to the gallery. We are expecting 1 million dollars from FIFA and we are also  expecting about 500,000 dollars for Women’s Football. We are also expecting about 500,000 dollars from CAF,” Pinnick said.

“We also have some funds from our sponsors. NIKE, Nigerian Breweries and some of our partners and once we get all these monies added together with funds from FIFA and CAF, then we will give the clubs monies to ease the burden of participating in the league in the new season.

“We know that many clubs in Nigeria are sponsored by the state governments, but at the same time, NFF wants to assist these clubs with funds in the new season.

“Within the next two weeks, we should be able to come out with a reasonable template with which we can appropriate all these funds,’ he said.

“We know it has been very difficult for the government with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the economy. It is difficult for NFF, for the clubs too and the leagues.

“We will ensure that the funds will help the leagues to function effectively as we expects more funds from government and other sponsors like AITEO and the rest of them.

Pinnick assured that there will be absolute transparency in the disbursement of the funds for appropriate use by football stakeholders in the country , but insisted that the  NFF will not play to the gallery. 

“We don’t want to play to the gallery by saying this is what we want to do but once we have all these funds, we hope to mop up funds from our partners (in addition to those from FIFA and CAF), then we will put all these together and streamline it and apportion it to all clubs.

“So that if we are starting the season, we know that we will start the season and finish it. The best way we can achieve this is to make sure we get some funds for these clubs without waiting for their sponsors,” he concluded.