NFF Budgets over N2Billion for Brazil 2014
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has presented a budget of over N2 billion for the participation of the Super Eagles at the 2014 World Cup.
NFF General Secretary, Musa Amadu pleaded with the House of Representatives Committee on Sports to assist the organisation in approving the needed sum noting that with what the federal government has approved for release for the team’s participation, the NFF will be running into a budget deficit of over N800 million.
Amadu said that the budget will cover the payment of the Super Eagles’ players and officials’ allowances, winning bonuses up to the quarter finals stage, accommodation and others.
According to the breakdown of the budget, the NFF will pay $10,000 as match bonus for players. The Eagles will also receive $12,500 and $15,000 if they qualify for the second round and the quarterfinals stage respectively.
The federation will also pay the chief coach, Stephen Keshi, a $20,000 winning bonus at the group stage, while his three assistants will receive $15,000 each. Also Keshi’s winning bonus will be raised to $22,500 and $25,000 if the Eagles qualify for the round of sixteen and quarterfinals stage respectively, while his three assistants winning bonus as well as other officials in the team will also be increased at the same 25%.
“Considering the good performance of the Nigeria Football Federation last year, I would have seen a situation where the federation is asked to take a bow and go, but I also see the significance in asking the NFF to speak particularly on its tremendous outings last year,” Amadu told the House Committee.
“With the budget we have this year, we expect to surpass our performance last year. Everybody knows that we went to the African Nations Cup last year. Nobody gave us a chance but by the grace of God and the support of government, we won the AFCON. We also won the U17 World Cup for the fourth time in the United Arab Emirates, the Super Eagles also qualified for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil for the fifth time, with other trophies which the various national teams won at various levels. Nigeria has also played top quality international friendly matches.
“For the World Cup, the budget we have is N2, 084,053,765 and from what we are envisaging, government may likely give us N1, 254,160,329. So there will be a shortfall in this World Cup budget to the tune of N829, 839,436 and the way we look at it this amount the government is bringing N1.2b will only take the Super Eeagles to the round of 16 match in terms of the bonuses to be paid, air ticket, estacodes, preparation and the rest of it.
“Then it means of course that we will have a budget deficit to the World Cup that is why we are placing this budget before the House Committee to have a look at it because the strategy is for us to go beyond any other African country in Brazil, which is the quarter final stage. If we get the budget that we have put together, Nigeria will be able to do not only ourselves proud but also the African continent.
“I want to say that there are some money that are due to Nigeria from FIFA for the World Cup preparation, part of that money has come to us and we are utilizing it to prepare the super eagles for the world cup. We do envisage also that when the World Cup takes place, the minimum money that will be generated by the NFF for participation will be about $8m.
“But when you remove taxes, it comes to about $7m that the NFF will receive. The minimum guarantee for the participation in the World Cup is $8m for any country that goes through the group stage, but of course if you go to the round of 16 or the quarterfinals, it goes higher. In the last World Cup in 2010, we were guaranteed $8m but eventually we received about $6.5m after tax deductions from FIFA.
“So Mr. Chairman, this is the budget summary for 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, we are believing that with the support of the house and the federal government, we should be able to go to the World Cup and do Nigeria proud,” Amadu concluded.