Follow Us on Google
The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has pledged full institutional support for reforms aimed at improving the standard of officiating in Nigerian football.
Gusau made this known on Wednesday in Abuja when the new executive committee of the Nigeria Referees Association paid him a condolence visit following the death of the association’s president and Head of the NFF Refereeing Unit, Sani Zubair.
Addressing the delegation, the NFF boss emphasized the need for bold and decisive action in sanitizing the refereeing profession, highlighting key areas such as age limits, computer literacy, and academic qualifications.
“I am one of those who believe that no serious recruitment drive for referees should accept people who are above a certain age. Perhaps, we should even look at recruiting persons from the level of junior secondary schools. We will be wasting our time by recruiting persons above the age of 14,” Gusau said.
He further stressed the growing importance of technological competence in modern officiating, noting that referees must be able to file detailed reports and adapt to evolving match technologies.
“There is also the imperative for computer literacy. These days, referees must file reports extending to many pages. The NFF is ready to provide support, but this must be adopted formally by the referees’ congress,” he added.
Gusau, who also serves as President of WAFU B, disclosed that the federation plans to train at least 10 Nigerian referees in Video Assistant Referee (VAR) before the end of the year.
Other News
He also paid tribute to the late Zubair, describing him as a committed and dignified servant of Nigerian football.
In his remarks, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi challenged the new NRA leadership to tackle the persistent issue of poor officiating in domestic competitions.
“I believe we have referees who can perform at the highest level, even at the FIFA World Cup, but they are easily influenced to the detriment of their careers.”
Sanusi said.
Responding on behalf of the association, Acting President Kelechi Mejuobi assured that the new executive would take firm steps to restore credibility to the profession, warning that unethical conduct and indiscipline would attract strict sanctions.
The meeting was attended by several key stakeholders in Nigerian refereeing, including former NRA President Ahmed Maude, vice presidents Emmanuel Imiere and Aminu Umar Fagge, as well as other officials and coordinators from across the country.
