Gusau Reaffirms NFF’s Commitment To Reforming Refereeing Standards

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), has reiterated the federation’s firm commitment to overhauling and strengthening the standard of refereeing in Nigerian football.

Gusau made the pledge on Wednesday in Abuja when the newly constituted executive committee of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) paid him a condolence visit following the recent passing of the Head of the NFF Refereeing Unit and former NRA President, the late Hon. Sani Zubair.

While commiserating with the delegation, Gusau used the opportunity to challenge the new leadership to take bold, decisive steps to sanitise the refereeing profession. He stressed that meaningful reform must begin with stricter recruitment policies, particularly regarding age limits, education and technological competence.

“I strongly believe that any serious recruitment drive must consider age as a critical factor,” Gusau said. “We should be looking at introducing referees from as early as junior secondary school level. Recruiting individuals beyond a certain age only limits their development and progression to elite levels, including FIFA accreditation.”

The NFF President also highlighted the growing importance of digital literacy in modern officiating, noting that referees are now required to submit detailed, technology-driven reports after matches.

“In today’s game, computer literacy is no longer optional,” he added. “Referees must be able to compile comprehensive reports. The NFF is ready to support, but these reforms must be formalised and adopted by the referees’ congress.”

Gusau further revealed that the federation is targeting the training of at least 10 Nigerian referees in the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology before the end of the year, underlining efforts to align with global officiating standards.

Earlier, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi urged the NRA leadership to confront the persistent issue of poor officiating in domestic competitions. He lamented that while Nigeria possesses referees capable of performing on the global stage, many fall short due to undue external influence.

Responding, NRA Acting President Kelechi Mejuobi assured that the new executive would intensify efforts to restore credibility, warning that indiscipline and unethical practices would attract strict sanctions.

The meeting also drew key stakeholders, including former NRA President Ahmed Maude and other senior refereeing officials, signalling a unified resolve to reposition officiating standards in Nigerian football.