Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is said to have authorised the release of the money ©Getty Images

Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung has claimed he does not know how a sum of N2.9 billion (£10.3 million/$14.6 million/€12.8 million), intended to aid the preparation of Nigerian athletes for this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has been spent.

It was initially reported by Nigerian daily newspaper This Day that the Government approved last year’s release of N2.7 billion (£9.6 million/$13.6 million/€11.9 million) to the now-defunct National Sports Commission (NSC).

Dalung has since revised the amount based on a memo he has seen from Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari authorising its release. 

He said he was not provided with enough information by Mallam Alhassan Yakmut, the former director general of NSC, about how the funds were used.

As well as helping in the build-up to Rio 2016, the money was also meant to go towards the running of the 2015 All-Africa Games in Congo’s capital Brazzaville. 

"It is true that the President released the sum of N2.9 billion last year to the defunct National Sports Commission, but as I sit today as a Minister, I have not gotten enough information as to how that money was spent," Dalung said.

It is claimed Nigerian Sports Federations have been complaining about their inability to travel to Olympic qualification events due to a lack of funding. 

A proportion of the money provided by the Nigerian Government was meant to go towards helping the country's athletes prepare fo last year's All-African Games in Brazzaville in Congo ©Getty Images
A proportion of the money provided by the Nigerian Government was meant to go towards helping the country's athletes prepare fo last year's All-African Games in Brazzaville in Congo ©Getty Images

Apart from preparing the team, Dalung said the fund also ought to cover accommodation costs for the Nigerian delegation in Rio de Janeiro.

He revealed he had to find extra money to pay for accommodation when he travelled to the Brazilian city last month.

"Those funds are supposed to address issues, but those issues are yet to be addressed up till now," he added.

"I had to go out of my way to source funds to go and pay for the balance of our accommodation in Rio and the N2.9 billion is supposed to be part of that money."

The dispute about the money became a public issue when a request tabled by the NSC for additional funds to prepare Nigerian athletes for Rio 2016 was turned down by the Bureau of Public Procurement, which demanded accountability on how the money released previously was spent.

In October of last year, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) launched a raffle in conjunction with Chisco Transport Company to raise funds for its athletes ahead of the Rio 2016. 

Tunde Poopola, secretary general of the NOC, said every trip made via Chisco until June 30, 2016, would qualify passengers for the three draws held in the build-up to the Games.