FIFA MA Course: Faith Irabor lauds NFF’s support, reaffirms confidence in Nigerian referees

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Madam Faith Irabor, has commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for its unwavering support of referee development in the country, following the successful conclusion of the FIFA Member Associations (MA) Technical and Physical Instructors Course held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Irabor expressed appreciation to NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), describing his backing as instrumental to the progress achieved so far.

“The NFF President has been gracious to us. This programme is an integral part of his pledge to change the face of refereeing in Nigeria, and you will all agree with me that he has lived up to his words, as our referees performed creditably in the just-concluded NPFL season,” she said.

She also urged the 40 participants—comprising elite technical and physical instructors—to return to their respective zones and replicate the training and knowledge gained during the week-long course, which featured both theoretical and practical sessions.

The course was led by FIFA Fitness Instructor Boubaker Hanachi (Tunisia) and FIFA Technical Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed (Somalia), with support from top Nigerian officials including Felicia Okwugba, Peter Edibe, Cecilia Ogwuche, Emmanuel Imiere, Stella Emoji, and IT/Video Instructor Promise Uwaeme.

The initiative aims to strengthen the technical capacity of Nigerian referees and instructors, as well as improve officiating standards at all levels of the game.

Looking ahead, the second phase of the FIFA MA Course—the Young Talents Programme—kicks off on Sunday, with another set of 40 young participants.

This segment is designed to identify and develop the next generation of referees from an early age, reinforcing Nigeria’s long-term vision for excellence in officiating.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.

See Full Bio