₦877m Fence, One Stadium: Records Put Sports Commission Spending Under Spotlight

 Public payment records have shown that the National Sports Commission spent a total of ₦877 million on fencing the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, raising fresh questions about spending priorities in Nigeria’s sports sector.

A review of entries on the federal payments portal, Govspend, reveals that the funds were paid on the same day, October 8, 2025, to the same contractor, Fassociates Nigeria Limited, for the same project.

According to the records, the Commission first paid ₦236.3 million for the “perimeter fencing of Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.” On the same day, an additional ₦641 million was disbursed to the same company, also listed as payment for “fencing of Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.” Both transactions were approved and executed on October 8, bringing the total fencing cost to ₦877 million.

The disclosure comes amid growing scrutiny of the Sports Commission’s expenditure patterns, especially around budget allocations for national sporting events.

Earlier reports showed that the Commission earmarked ₦2.1 billion in the 2026 federal budget to “promote and organise the National Sports Festival 2025 in Ogun State,” despite the fact that the festival had already taken place between May 16 and May 30, 2025, and Ogun State is not scheduled to host another edition.

Records further indicate that in the 2025 fiscal year, the former Federal Ministry of Sports Development—now the National Sports Commission—had already budgeted ₦3 billion for organising the same 2025 National Sports Festival in Ogun State.

At the state level, Ogun also committed significant resources to hosting the festival. Budget documents show that the state spent ₦2.6 billion in 2024 and allocated another ₦2.3 billion in its 2025 budget for the event, alongside additional personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures running into billions of naira.

Despite Ogun State having hosted the 2025 edition, Enugu State has been designated to host the 2026 National Sports Festival. Federal budget records show that ₦185 million was allocated as early as 2025 to begin preparations, with another ₦129.5 million set aside in the 2026 budget.

Together, the fencing expenditure and recurring festival allocations have intensified calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of public funds within Nigeria’s sports administration.

SOURCE : NaijaRush Assignment Desk