The 2012 FIFA MA Course for elite referees, referee
assessors and physical fitness instructors was officially declared open in
Abuja on Wednesday by Nigeria Football Federation, NFF President, Alhaji Aminu
Maigari.

A total of 30 elite referees, among them Peter Edibe (the
only Nigerian referee involved in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying race), 36
referee assessors and 20 physical fitness instructors are taking part in the
one-week programme, which maiden edition took place last year.

World football-governing body, FIFA has sent three leading
referee instructors to oversee the programme. They are retired FIFA referees
Sidi Bekaye Magassa (Mali), Felix Tangawarima (Zimbabwe) and Madembe Mbacke
(Senegal).

In his address declaring open the course, at the FIFA
Technical Centre, NFF President Aminu Maigari, who was represented by Member of
NFF Executive Committee and Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Alhaji
Muazu Suleyman, thanked FIFA for continuous support of all programmes geared
towards the development of the Nigerian referee.

“Let me start by expressing heartfelt appreciation to the
world football-governing body, FIFA for the keen interest it has continued to
show, unpretentiously, about the development of Nigeria referees and their
profiles internationally.

“It is this very special interest that informed the move by
the world body to not only sanction the maiden edition of this Course, last
year, but also to send three of its best hands in referees instruction business
to fly down to Nigeria and impart uncommon knowledge to our leading men of the
whistle. This same interest has manifested again with the FIFA’s decision to
send to Nigeria again three of the very best in the business, who has seen it
all in the vocation of refereeing and have so much to teach our own people.”

Maigari also applauded the efforts of the Nigeria Referees
Association and the NFF Referees Committee, pledging that the NFF will continue
to support its activities.

“Let me also give assurance that the Nigeria Football
Federation will continue to support maximally all programmes, efforts and moves
to improve the Nigerian referee, based on our belief that the Nigerian referee
is indeed capable of doing much better and having a better profile than he/she
currently does in world football.”

Supporting Messrs Magassa, Tangawarima and Mbacke are
Nigeria’s respected retired FIFA referees Linus Mba, Emmanuel Dada Obafemi and
Edikin Imiere.