Home page
President Yar’Adua gives go-ahead for U-17 World Cup, LOC reports to VP
Oct 28, 2008, 18:43
| | Following a drastic downward review of the estimated cost to the Federal Government of hosting the FIFA Under-17 Football Championship next year, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on Tuesday October 28 gave the go-ahead for Nigeria to host the tournament as originally planned.
After giving due consideration to the many representations made by the global football community and other stakeholders, President Yar’Adua has directed that the sum of N9 Billion be provided in next year’s budget for the Under-17 Cup instead of the outrageous N35.5 Billion initially requested by the Local Organising Committee.
A statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi said the President expects that with prudent management and complementary funding from FIFA and the private sector, the final cost to the Federal Government of hosting the Under-17 World Cup will be even less than the N9 Billion which the National Assembly will now be asked to appropriate.
There is already an understanding that FIFA will bear the full cost of accommodating participating teams and an encouraging response from the Nigerian private sector to the demand that it should contribute much more significantly towards the successful hosting of the tournament.
President Yar’Adua has also asked Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to oversee the management of the Federal Government’s role in hosting the tournament to ensure that Nigeria receives full value, in every respect, for funds committed to it. Consequently, the Local Organising Committee will now report to the Vice President.
Vice President Jonathan has accordingly written to the President of FIFA confirming that Nigeria will still host the Under-17 World Cup between October 24 and November 15, next year.
He asked that FIFA do more to complement Nigeria’s efforts to ensure the success of the tournament.
© Copyright 2008 nigeriafirst.org
Top of Page | 
