Speaker Abbas Commends Shaibu’s Reforms at NIS, Sponsors Training for Kaduna Coaches

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has praised the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, for the ongoing reforms transforming the Institute, particularly the decentralization of its programmes through the establishment of zonal centres across the country.

The commendation was conveyed by the Speaker’s Senior Special Assistant and former President of the Kaduna State Football Association, Hon. Magaji Abdul Alhassan, during a meeting with the NIS Director General.

According to Hon. Magaji, Speaker Abbas described the establishment of the North-West Zonal Centre in Kaduna as a landmark achievement that is enhancing access to coaching education while strengthening grassroots sports development across the region and the country.

In a further demonstration of his commitment to sports development, the Speaker announced the sponsorship of 20 coaches from Kaduna to undergo training at the National Institute for Sports. He also pledged to increase the number to 25 coaches annually to ensure continuous capacity building and professional development for coaches in the state.

Reacting to the Speaker’s commendation and support, Comrade Philip Shaibu expressed gratitude to Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas for his confidence in the Institute’s vision and unwavering commitment to advancing sports development in Nigeria.

Shaibu said the Speaker’s backing would motivate the Institute to expand its programmes and continue providing quality coaching education and professional training opportunities across the country.

“This support will only inspire us to do more for the National Institute for Sports and for Nigerian sports in general. We sincerely appreciate the Speaker’s commitment to sports development and his investment in building the capacity of Nigerian coaches,” Shaibu said.

The NIS Director General reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders at all levels to deepen grassroots sports development and produce highly skilled coaches capable of driving Nigeria’s sporting success.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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