By Aderonke Ojo
President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA), Ladan Bosso, has commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for successfully organising the CAF B-Licence Refresher Course, describing the initiative as a significant step toward revitalising coaching education and strengthening football development in Nigeria.
Bosso made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja at the closing ceremony of the six-day CAF B-Licence Refresher Course held at the FIFA Goal Project, Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
According to him, the programme provided coaches with a valuable platform to update their knowledge, exchange ideas and improve their understanding of the modern game.
“The programme has been educative and rewarding. Beyond the learning experience, it has provided coaches with the opportunity to share ideas, exchange experiences and improve their understanding of the modern game,” Bosso said.
He praised the leadership of the NFF and its Technical Department for restoring coaching education programmes after years of inactivity, noting that the last CAF A-Licence course in Nigeria was conducted in 2016.
Bosso expressed confidence that the renewed emphasis on coaching development would help establish a distinct Nigerian football philosophy and playing culture, while encouraging coaches to take advantage of emerging opportunities to enhance their professional competence.
Also speaking, NFF Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen, said the refresher course was organised to update coaches whose CAF B-Licences had become inactive due to the absence of regular refresher programmes over the years.
He explained that the NFF leadership, under President Ibrahim Gusau, worked closely with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to revive coaching education programmes in the country.
“It has been a very interesting exercise. Many of these coaches obtained their licences several years ago, and CAF regulations require that such licences remain valid through periodic refresher courses. We are pleased that this administration has revived the process,” Eguavoen said.
He disclosed that the next phase would involve selecting candidates for the CAF A-Licence course expected to commence in August, adding that coaching education would remain a continuous exercise rather than a one-off programme.
Eguavoen noted that the initiative would ensure Nigerian coaches remain qualified and eligible to manage teams in continental competitions and at national team level.
NFF Head of Coaching Education, Dr. Terry Eguaoje, reiterated the federation’s commitment to coach development, stressing that improved coaching standards would ultimately lead to the production of better players.
“Better coaches make better players. Nigeria does not lack talent; what we have lacked is opportunity. Through coaching education, we are creating those opportunities and raising standards across the country,” Eguaoje said.
He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the refresher course and revealed that plans were already underway to organise the CAF A-Licence course later this year.
Eguaoje further disclosed that Nigeria could potentially host the CAF Pro Licence course by 2027 or 2028, a development he said would represent a major milestone for football development in the country.
The CAF B-Licence Refresher Course, organised by the NFF, ran from June 20 to June 24, 2026, at the FIFA Goal Project, Package B, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The programme brought together 50 coaches in two separate streams over six days as part of the federation’s efforts to align coaching standards in Nigeria with modern football requirements and CAF guidelines.
