The first –ever CAF Club Licensing Seminar in Nigeria was opened in Abuja on Thursday at a colourful ceremony witnessed by leading lights of Nigerian football and big-wigs of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

NFF President Amaju Pinnick, who opened the two –day event, praised CAF for the initiative and stressed that the program was another step by the NFF to build capacity of workers in the game and entrench global best practices in the administration of the Nigerian game.

“As we keep saying at every turn, our administration is committed to repositioning the Nigeria game. There has been tremendous impact in several aspects, most notably the League, and we are determined to intensify the capacity building programs for referees, coaches and administrators.

“We appreciate this move by CAF, recognizing the high importance of our country in the global football community, and we have high regard for the instructors they have sent to ‘load’ our people with the best practices in club licensing.”

CAF has sent four of its best instructors, namely CAF Club Licensing Manager Ahmed Harraz, Dominique Niyonzima from Burundi, George Kasengele from Zambia and respected FIFA Match Commissioner Anthony Baffoe from Ghana. NFF Club Licensing Manager, Nasiru Jibril is coordinating.

The African body has also invited its Nigerian Club Licensing Instructors, including Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba (FIFA Match Commissioner, CAF Instructor and one –time NFF General Secretary) and Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam (former NFF 1^st Vice President and deputy president of the CAF Appeal Board).

Present at the occasion were NFF 1st Vice President, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi, NFF 2nd Vice President/LMC chairman, Mr. Shehu Dikko, NFF Executive Committee members Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh and Ahmad Kawu, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and chief operating officer of LMC, Salihu Abubakar.

Chairman of the Directors of Sports in the country, Mr. Tunde Kazeem, Directors of Sports of Kebbi and Osun States (Usman Ladan and Akin Adio respectively) and Players’ Union chieftains Dahiru Sadi and Austin Popo were also in attendance, alongside representatives of all Premier League clubs in the country.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s FIFA Match Commissioner, CAF Instructor and NFF Technical Committee member, Mr. Paul Bassey is in Accra, Ghana as an instructor at a similar seminar holding in that country.