President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has pledged to decentralise coaching education across the country, sports247.ng reports.
He said future CAF B-License coaching programmes will be taken directly to states, zones and local government areas to strengthen grassroots football development.
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Gusau made the commitment on Wednesday during the closing ceremony of the CAF B-License Refresher Course organised by the NFF in Abuja.
Addressing participants, the NFF President reaffirmed his administration’s determination to make coaching education more accessible while building a stronger foundation for Nigerian football.
“You can be in your state, and the course will be at your doorstep. We need to educate our grassroots coaches. That is the way to go for the holistic development of the game,” Gusau said.
The NFF boss noted that significant progress has been made in coaching education since his administration assumed office, pointing to the successful organisation of several coaching courses and Nigeria’s return to the CAF A-License convention.
“When we came in, the situation was not particularly great with regards to coaching education.”
“I believe you can all attest to the fact that significant progress has been made in this area, with the numerous courses we have had and our country’s return to the CAF A-License convention,” he stated.
Gusau also assured coaches who completed the CAF B-License course years ago but are yet to receive their certificates that the Federation is working closely with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to resolve the issue.
According to him, the NFF now has a sufficient number of qualified instructors capable of delivering coaching courses across the country, eliminating the need for coaches to travel to Abuja for training.
The NFF President stressed that football coaching has become increasingly scientific and technical, making continuous education essential for coaches who wish to remain relevant in the modern game.
He explained that while CAF regulations limit the number of participants for the elite A-License programme, the Federation remains committed to ensuring that coaches at all levels benefit from ongoing development initiatives.
A total of 50 coaches, divided into two streams, participated in the four-day refresher course which commenced on Sunday and concluded on Wednesday.
The closing ceremony was attended by NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, NFF Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen, NFF Head of Coaching Education Dr Terry Eguaoje, NFF Director of Media and Communications Dr Ademola Olajire, Coach Abdulrafiu Yusuf, and President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Coach Ladan Bosso.
The programme forms part of the NFF’s broader efforts to enhance coaching standards and drive football development from the grassroots to the elite level across Nigeria.
