NFF launches D-license Coaching Course in Abuja with 40 participants

By Dayo Awoniyi

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday flagged off a six-day D-License Coaching Course in Abuja, with 40 coaches beginning training aimed at strengthening grassroots football development.

Opening the programme, NFF Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen described the initiative as the foundation of the coaching pathway, stressing that the course is a prerequisite for the C-License and comprises structured modules totalling at least 60 hours.

“Just as it is in life, everything in football is in stages. We have a lot of talented young ones out there, and it is not the way you coach adults that you coach the young ones. Coaching the young ones requires special training,” Eguavoen said.

He further noted that the programme will be decentralised in due course.

“This course is not going to be a one-off. After this national programme, we will take it to the zones and subsequently to the states. With 40 coaches already on board, I can assure you they have a lot to learn.”

The D-License training comes on the heels of several NFF-led initiatives to raise coaching standards nationwide.

These include the record-setting CAF C-License course exclusively for women coaches last year, a CAF B-License course in April that trained 30 participants, and a Coach Educators’ Course in July featuring 25 participants.

The federation says these programmes are part of a long-term strategy to modernise Nigeria’s coaching framework and improve player development from the grassroots to elite level.