NFF Committed To Organising Regular Courses For Nigerian Coaches

The Nigeria Football Federation has affirmed that it will make necessary efforts to ensure that coaching courses are much more regular in the country, in order for the country to boast of enough trained coaches within the next couple of years.


NFF 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi made this pledge on behalf of the NFF President, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, at the opening ceremony of the CAF –C License Coaching Course in Abuja on Tuesday.

“This NFF administration is committed to fostering rapid development of all areas of the Nigeria game, be it refereeing, coaching or administration. We have taken a number of steps to enhance the capacity of referees, and we have also taken a number of coaches to capacity –building programmes in the United Kingdom.

“Let me make it clear that we are committed to ensuring that our country has thousands of trained coaches within the next couple of years. We will make coaching courses more regular and of course, the training can be doned simultaneously, in such a way that as we are here having one in Abuja, we can be having similar courses in Kaduna, Lagos, Enugu and wherever.”

Also at the opening ceremony were vice chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed Fresh, NFF Executive Committee member Ahmad Muazu Kawu and NFF Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme.

Over 80 coaches are attending the two –week course, holding at the FIFA Technical Centre, Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja. Former Super Eagles’ Coach and ex-FIFA Technical Advisor Adegboye Onigbinde, one-time NFF Technical Director Kashimawo Laloko, former Eagles’ Coach James Peters and in-coming NFF Technical Director Shuaibu Amodu are among instructors at the programme.

FIFA Technical Advisor (Refereeing) Linus Mba, former NFF General Secretary and CAF instructor Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Director of Sports Medicine at the National Sports Commission Abdulkadir Muazu and NFF Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme will speak on refereeing, administration, sports medicine and psychology respectively.

All participants will undertake practical and theory examinations at the close of the course. The NFF held a first-ever CAF C-License coaching course between September and October 2011, and followed up with a second one in April 2014. The Federation also organized two CAF B-License programmes in March 2012 and September 2012.

Former international players Bright Omokaro, Ishaya Jatau, Mike Onyemachara, Hussein Alabi, Haruna Hadi, Edith Agoye, Jimoh ‘Tyson’ Balogun and Akin Olowookere are among those taking the course.