Gara-Gombe demands gradual end to gov’t funding of sports
A former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Alhaji Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has renewed calls for a gradual withdrawal of government funding for sports in Nigeria, arguing that public money has fuelled decades of corruption, waste, and mismanagement across the country’s sports federations. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Gombe said sports development in Nigeria would […]
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A former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Alhaji Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has renewed calls for a gradual withdrawal of government funding for sports in Nigeria, arguing that public money has fuelled decades of corruption, waste, and mismanagement across the country’s sports federations.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Gombe said sports development in Nigeria would only thrive when the private sector takes the lead, backed by transparency, accountability, and regular public audits.
“The first institutional reform must be a gradual withdrawal of government funding for sports. Around the world, sports thrive through private sector involvement,” he said.
Gombe praised the House of Representatives for launching a probe into FIFA-supported stadium projects, but insisted that the investigation must go much deeper — tracing alleged financial irregularities as far back as 1986, not just recent years.
“It’s not just the NFF. Every federation, from football to the Olympic Committee, receives money from international bodies — and none has ever been truly audited,” he said.
“We must look beyond football. Every sports federation in Nigeria should be asked one simple question: how much did you receive, and where did it go?”
Gombe further urged the National Assembly to make quarterly financial reporting mandatory for all sports bodies.
“Private sponsors avoid Nigerian sports because there’s no accountability, no transparency — just free money being wasted,” he said.
While expressing support for the probe, Gombe cautioned lawmakers against turning it into a witch-hunt against the current NFF leadership, insisting that corruption in Nigerian sports is systemic and long-standing.