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NRA Announces Pre-Season Seminar Ahead of 2026/27 NPFL Season

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1 month ago

3:56 pm

NRA Announces Pre-Season Seminar Ahead of 2026/27 NPFL Season

The Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) has announced its annual pre-season seminar for assessors, referees and assistant referees ahead of the 2026/2027 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

Organised by the NFF Referees Development Unit, the workshop is aimed at improving officiating standards, match officials’ fitness levels and technical knowledge ahead of the new NPFL campaign.

According to a statement signed by the Secretary of the Referees Development Unit, Nasiru Ibrahim, the seminar will take place at the main bowl of the MKO Abiola National Stadium and the FIFA Goal Project, Package B, from Saturday, August 15 to Saturday, August 29, 2026.

Daily sessions are scheduled to run from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Assessors will begin the programme with classwork on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16.

The first group of referees and assistant referees will arrive on Monday, August 17, for medical examinations. Their fitness test is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, followed by classwork, practical sessions and tests on Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20.

The second group will arrive for medical tests on Friday, August 21, with their fitness test scheduled for Saturday, August 22. They will then undergo classwork, practical sessions and tests on Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23.

The third group will arrive for medical examinations on Monday, August 24, before undergoing their fitness test on Tuesday, August 25. Their classwork, practical sessions and tests are scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 and Friday, August 28.

The seminar is part of preparations to ensure match officials are physically fit, technically equipped and ready to meet the demands of the upcoming NPFL season.

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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