The two-week FIFA Member Associations Course in Abuja came to a successful close on Thursday, leaving behind a renewed sense of promise and pride in the future of refereeing in Nigeria. The program, which trained physical and technical instructors alongside a fresh group of young referees, drew praise from FIFA Technical Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed, who expressed confidence that Nigerian officials are on track to make a global mark.
The course ran in two phases, with instructors receiving training between June ninth and June thirteenth, followed by a five-day session for young talents from June fifteenth to June nineteenth. The training sessions were hands-on, rigorous, and designed to build technical competence while reinforcing physical fitness and ethical standards.
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President of the Nigeria Football Federation Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who also heads the WAFU B regional bloc, urged the young referees to take what they had learnt seriously and apply it consistently. He announced that the NFF is committed to promoting emerging officials and confirmed that many from the previous year’s cohort have already been entrusted with top-tier matches in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
According to him, last year forty aspiring referees underwent the course, while this year forty-six participated. Ten of the previous participants were promoted to the NPFL, and all performed commendably. He described this as a strong validation of the NFF’s vision for grooming young referees and stressed the importance of continuous learning, collaboration, and integrity.
FIFA Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed from Somalia applauded the young referees’ learning attitude and their impressive understanding of the game. He noted that Nigeria is already a dominant force on the field of play and that it is now time for Nigerian referees to stand tall at the highest levels, including the FIFA World Cup.
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This year’s course marked a unique shift in approach, as it was the first time the FIFA MA Course was conducted without elite referees or FIFA-badged referees. The emphasis was on empowering local instructors, building capacity from within and developing young talents. This strategic pivot is expected to lay a lasting foundation for referee development across Nigeria.
