As the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup enters the knockout stage, Nigerians here are yet to see where the country’s Football Fans Village is located.
Instead, the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) that earlier announced that the village would hold for the duration of the tournament like that of other participating countries, has wound up its activities here in controversial circumstances.
NTDC Director-General, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, had since after signing a partnership agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) earlier in the year in Abuja, announced that the Nigerian Football Fans Village would hold in Sao Paulo in grand fashion with top Nigerian musicians and stand-up comedians performing daily.
Mbanefo also announced that there would be exhibition of Nigeria’s arts and crafts and local foods on sale at the proposed village, in an atmosphere of Brazilian samba entertainment.
But to the bewilderment of Nigerians here, no such village was erected, even as the NTDC and its agent, ZA Entertainment, are now locked in blames over the embarrassing failure to hold the village when other countries’ fan fests are booming.
To save face, Mbanefo on June 18 rented a room in Braston Augusta Hotel, where she lodged and exhibited some some ankara materials and locally-made foot wears and served some Nigerians around refreshment.
While the event was on, president of ZA Entertainment, Mr. Azania Omo Agege, had arrived at the venue with the intention of stopping it.
Omo-Agege told National Mirror that he signed a Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) to organise the Nigerian Fans Village for the NTDC, alleging that he had made elaborate arrangement, hiring a hall for $8, 000 and paying some Nigerian musicians and putting in place other logistics for the village to run for one month, only for the NTDC boss to arrive in Brazil and cancelled all the commitments, citing lack of funds.
He lamented that he had been chased around by owners of the venue he booked to come and pay or face court action for denying them opportunity to rent out their facility to other willing clients earlier.
While the two parties trade blames, Nigerians here have been denied the joy of having a Fans Village like their counterparts participating in this Brazil 2014 World Cup.