The President of the Nigeria Football Federation Ibrahim Gusau has announced plans to train at least 10 Nigerian referees in Video Assistant Referee technology as part of efforts to modernise officiating and improve match control in domestic football.
Gusau made the commitment while receiving the new executive team of the Nigeria Referees Association at the NFF secretariat in Abuja, following the recent passing of former association president Sani Zubair.
During the meeting, he stressed the need for reforms in referee recruitment and development, calling for stricter standards in age limits academic qualifications and computer literacy to ensure officials can meet the demands of modern football.
He argued that refereeing has become more technical and data driven requiring officials to be capable of handling detailed digital reporting and analysis as part of their responsibilities.
Gusau stated that the federation is committed to supporting capacity building and will ensure that selected referees receive formal training in VAR operations before the end of the year.
Also speaking the NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi emphasized the importance of improving officiating standards in the domestic league noting that Nigerian referees have the potential to perform at the highest international level if properly guided and protected.
He however lamented that undue influence and misconduct have continued to affect the credibility of refereeing in the country and urged the new referees association leadership to enforce discipline and accountability.
The acting president of the association Kelechi Mejuobi assured that the new leadership would intensify reforms and impose strict sanctions on unethical behaviour while working closely with the federation to restore confidence in officiating.
The initiative marks another step in the federation’s broader effort to align Nigerian football with global standards through technology training and institutional reform.
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