In a bold move to bridge the gap between local and international officiating standards, Faith Irabor, Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation’s Referee Development Committee, has unveiled the first-ever FIFA/NFF Technical and Physical Training Course in the country.
The pioneering programme will mentor 40 aspiring referees and instructors, equipping them with the skills and fitness required to thrive under the modern demands of the game.
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Irabor explained that Nigeria’s refereeing infrastructure has long suffered from a shortage of qualified instructors capable of nurturing talent beyond major cities. “The number of instructors that we have are so few,” she said. “We need to develop some who will go to the hinterlands and help us bring up young referees to meet up with the pace of what is happening globally.”
The selected participants will undergo intensive theoretical workshops on the latest rule changes and technological innovations, paired with rigorous physical training designed to match the speed and intensity of today’s matches.
After the programme, these newly certified instructors will return to their regions—north, south, east, and west—to run grassroots clinics, scouting fresh talent and ensuring consistency in officiating across all levels of Nigerian football.
This landmark collaboration between FIFA and the NFF aims not only to enhance the credibility of match officials in domestic leagues but also to prepare Nigerian referees for assignments on Africa’s biggest stages and, ultimately, in FIFA competitions.
With this initiative, the NFF signals its commitment to professionalizing every aspect of the game and staking Nigeria’s claim as a breeding ground for world-class football officials.
