Christian Chukwu, a former captain of the Super Eagles, has disclosed that the Nigeria Football Federation still owes him unpaid salaries from his tenure as head coach of the national team.
Under Chukwu’s leadership, the team secured a bronze medal at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations held in Tunisia. However, he was relieved of his coaching duties in June 2005 during the World Cup qualification campaign for the tournament in Germany.
Reflecting on the treatment of local coaches in Nigeria, Chukwu shared that he had a more positive experience managing teams in Kenya and Lebanon compared to his time with the Nigerian national team.
“They own Nigerian coaches. They don’t owe foreign coaches. It is a problem. You take on an indigenous coach who takes a cheap salary, and you owe him.
“Is it proper? Are you encouraging him to do his job? I am still being owed up to today. They are still owing me till tomorrow. My files are there with the NFF. There is nothing I can do [to get them to pay me]. The file is there. Go to their office, and you will see how much they owe me. Not only me, but other indigenous coaches are being owed too. Some are late,” the former Enugu Rangers captain told The Athletics Nigeria.
When asked what he did to get his money, he retorted by asking, “What can I do?”
Chukwu’s disclosure highlights a recurring issue faced by many individuals associated with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
In a 2023 interview, the late Super Falcons manager, Godwin Izilien, expressed frustration over the NFF’s failure to compensate him with $12,000 for leading the team to victory in the Women’s African Cup of Nations in South Africa in 2004.
Despite continuous appeals to the federation over the years, Izilien’s requests went unheeded.
Similarly, current Falcons coach Randy Waldrum voiced his grievances against the NFF for not fulfilling their contractual obligations to him.
In 2023, the NFF, represented by Director of Communications Ademola Olajire, acknowledged its financial difficulties, citing an inability to meet its financial commitments to its employees.
“The NFF has been facing huge financial challenges and there is an ongoing effort to resolve all the issues relating to unpaid wages,” Olajire told BBC Sport Africa.
“It is unfortunately not something to be proud of and the new board of the federation is working hard to resolve the problems,” he concluded.
