NFF To Reap N195m Covid-19 Palliative As FIFA Shares $150m To FAs

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is set to smile to the bank to claim the sum of $500,000 (about N95million), being its share from $150million that FIFA has earmarked for its member associations as palliative amid the hardship occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, Completesports.com reports.

FIFA has revealed that it will share $150m among 211 member football associations within few days from Friday April 24.

The money is FIFA members’ 2019 and 2020 operational funding. The second installment of the 2020 funding was planned to be paid in July, but the world football governing body has decided to fast-track it and make it available right away to also serve as bailout in the face of challenges which the coronavirus scourge has posed.

It is expected that the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF will get huge relief from the FIFA money amid its stringent financial situation, especially at a time when the Super Eagles coach’s contract extension is being negotiated.

“The pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges for the entire football community and, as the world governing body, it is FIFA’s duty to be there and support the ones that are facing acute needs,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Friday.

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“This starts by providing immediate financial assistance to our member associations, many of which are experiencing severe financial distress. This is the first step of
a far-reaching financial relief plan we are developing to respond to the emergency across the whole football community.

“Together with our stakeholders, we are we assessing the losses and we are working on the most appropriate and effective tools
to implement the other stages of this relief plan.”

“I would like to thank the
chairpersons of the FIFA Development Committee, Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, and the FIFA Finance Committee, Alejandro Dominguez, for their commitment and urgent approval of these measures by their committees.”