Nigerian federal government has been criticized for its decision to withdraw from hosting the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

After meeting with the Presidential Committee on budget, Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua frowned upon the proposed 37 billion naira budget for the event and maintained that the championship was not in its administration's priority list for 2009.

Nigeria's Minister of Communication, John Odey, on Wednesday said the current global financial crisis prompted the government to shelve the hosting, adding that except with the private sector's assistance, the government had no resources to fund the football event.

A FIFA match commissioner and former Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, expressed shock over the decision.

He wondered why the government gave FIFA a guarantee on Nigeria's readiness to host the event only for it to make a U-turn just one year to the competition.

"This is a bad omen and very unfortunate especially for the youths of the country," said Onigbinde.

"It is really unfortunate and I believe it is not late to reverse this decision capable of dragging the country back in sports generally," he added.

He said the decision will not hurt FIFA body but the country itself.

The Director of the Pepsi Football Academy, Kasimawo Laloko, noted that the country had chosen to neglect an area that unites its people even in time of adversity.

"Already, I am aware that the governors of Lagos and Ogun states have been doing so much to upgrade their stadia and put other necessary things in shape for the competition," he said.

According to him, If the government had consulted with the people, it would have been clear that quitting was a wrong decision.

He said Nigerians appreciate the seven-point agenda of government but it is better to task corporate Nigeria to save the situation than to embarrass the country.

"Pepsi, for example, has done so much for football and is still ready to do more for a project like this, other organizations in the manufacturing sector, telecommunications, banking, insurance, etc should come in," he said.

A former NFF member and FIFA match commissioner, Austin Akosa, said the issue of budget can be addressed if they discuss with FIFA on the difficulties.

"We hosted the world at U-20 level in 1999 and nine years after it is sad that we want to withdraw from U-17 World Cup," he said.