Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has questioned the inclusion of ₦6.44 billion in the 2026 Federal Government budget for what was described as a “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers,” despite Nigeria’s reported elimination from the qualification campaign months earlier.
Dalung described the budgetary provision as one that raises serious concerns about accountability and transparency in the management of public funds, insisting that Nigerians deserve a clear explanation from the government.
In a statement, the former minister said that having served as Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, he was familiar with how FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns are organised, funded and concluded.
According to him, World Cup qualification programmes operate within clearly defined timelines and budgetary frameworks, making it difficult to justify an allocation for a campaign that had already ended.
“As someone who had the privilege of serving as Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, I understand how World Cup qualification campaigns are planned, funded and executed. They follow a definite timetable. Once the qualification campaign is over, the purpose for which those funds were meant to serve also comes to an end,” he said.
Dalung argued that if the allocation resulted from a budgeting error, the government should acknowledge it and provide a satisfactory explanation. If, however, the funds were intended for another purpose, that purpose should be clearly disclosed to the public.
“If the allocation was merely a budgeting error, Nigerians deserve an explanation. If it was meant for another purpose, the government should say so. But if it was deliberately retained after the qualification campaign had ended, then those responsible must account for it,” he stated.
He stressed that his intervention should not be viewed through a political lens but as a demand for accountability in the use of public resources.
“This is not about politics. It is about accountability,” Dalung said.
Recalling his tenure in office, the former minister noted that he served during Nigeria’s successful qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the country’s last appearance at the global football tournament.
Drawing on that experience, he maintained that every phase of a World Cup qualification campaign comes with specific activities, timelines and corresponding budgetary obligations.
“There is no justification for appropriating billions for a qualification exercise that had already concluded,” he added.
Dalung clarified that he was not accusing any individual of wrongdoing but insisted that questions surrounding public expenditure must be answered openly.
“No one should be presumed guilty without evidence. However, when public funds are involved and legitimate questions arise, silence is never an acceptable answer. The appropriate response is transparency,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to provide a detailed explanation on why the ₦6.44 billion allocation remained in the 2026 budget for a World Cup qualification campaign he said had already ended.
“The Nigerian people deserve to know why ₦6.44 billion found its way into the 2026 budget for a World Cup qualification campaign that had already ended. That is a fair question, and it deserves a credible answer,” Dalung added.