President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick will today declare open this year’s FIFA Member Association (MA) Elite Programme for Nigerian referees, assessors and physical fitness trainers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This year’s programme will run between 3rd and 8th July 2017.
Last year, more than 230 Nigerian referees, instructors and assessors were involved in the programme, which took place 16th – 20th May 2016, also in Abuja.
Head of the NFF Referees Unit and Secretary of the NFF Referees Committee, Mallam Sani Zubair reconfirmed to thenff.com at the weekend that all arrangements had been concluded for the international programme that will this year, involve Nigeria’s 29 men and women FIFA referees, 15 elite national referees, all national referee assessors, all national physical fitness instructors and non –FIFA women referees.
Zubair also stated that the team of three FIFA instructors would be led by the Regional Development Officer, Carlos Manuel Neves Henrique and will include Felix Onias Tangawarima from Zimbabwe (referee instructor) and Tracy Sophia Lovell (physical instructor).