House Committee slams Nigeria’s 2027 AFCON bid
The Chairman of the Federal House Committee on Sports, Ekene Adams, has described Nigeria’s bid to host the 2027 African Cup of Nations as a misplaced priority, saying the dream is a demonstration of insensitivity to the sufferings of Nigerians as a result of the current economic woes.
In a press statement signed by its Media Director Ademola Olajire, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, said the joint bid by Nigeria and neighbours the Republic of Benin has loomed to the forefront in the race for the hosting of the 36th edition of AFCON in 2027, with the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football voting on the bids for both 2025 and 2027 in Cairo on Wednesday. The meeting will take place at the Cairo Marriott Hotel in the Zamalek area of downtown Cairo.
However, Adams said the Ministry of Sports shouldn’t have plunged the Federal Government into the jamboree in the face of the rising cost of living as a result of fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the naira.
“The federal and state governments should at this time be concerned with how to alleviate the suffering of the citizens.
“We all know that governments across all levels have distributed palliatives to Nigerians, but it seemed not enough, and we need to come up with different programmes to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians.
“At this time, the priority of the government should be the welfare of the citizens.
“Hosting the African Nations Cup is good, but it is better than the billions of naira that will be spent on hosting be diverted into the economy,” he told BSNSports.com.ng
With Morocco virtually guaranteed the honour for the 2025 finals, the joint bid by Nigeria and the Republic of Benin is in contest with Senegal, Egypt, Botswana and a tripartite arrangement of Uganda/Kenya/Tanzania for the 2027 event.
Algeria was a strong candidate for the 2027 event until the North African country withdrew from the race on Tuesday morning.
