Sports

Gov Fintiri assures NFF of world-class stadium in Yola in few months’ time

Published

10 months ago

August 15, 2024

Joel Ajayi

The Executive Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has pledged that his administration will ensure the completion of a magnificent stadium in the capital city, Yola before the end of March 2025.

Governor Fintiri made this pledge in Yola on Thursday, while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria Football Federation led by its President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, at the Government House.

“I want to thank you specially for this auspicious courtesy call. My administration has always been committed to constructing a befitting stadium, for the benefit of our teeming youth population in this State and the nation at large. Your coming will definitely hasten the pace of this project.

“Building the stadium is our own way of fighting poverty, youth restiveness and juvenile delinquency. We know that when the youth have the means of empowerment, and positive areas to channel their energy, all manner of vices and mischief reduce drastically in a society. We enjoin you to visit the site and advise the government appropriately on whichever aspects we have left out or have not set out properly, so that we can amend and incorporate those observations into the project.”

Earlier, Gusau had praised Governor Fintiri and his administration for the giant strides being made in several sectors in the State, and particularly expressed excitement at the latter’s expressed determination to conclude the project within a few months.

“Presently, we are experiencing hard times in our football with regards to stadia infrastructure. As I speak to you, we can only host our ‘A’ matches at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Your commitment to completing the stadium here in record time will help Nigeria Football, and ultimately become a magnificent legacy of your administration.

“Football is passion; football is life. It is the only factor that unifies all our peoples from different backgrounds and physical and mental divides. Sporting infrastructure enables the youth to be meaningfully and fruitfully engaged, and I assure you that the NFF will do whatever it can in terms of providing advice on configuration as the project moves ahead.”

Gusau also advised Governor Fintiri to sponsor an U17 Football Championship in the State, which will be organized by the Adamawa State Football Association, to unearth talents that can be nurtured from the grassroots to stardom.

It was learnt that the Adamawa New Stadium Complex had been glossed over by the three previous administrations in the State.

Present as well as the occasion were the Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, Alhaji Auwal Tukur; Chief of Staff to His Excellency, Dr. Edgar Amos; Hon. Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Adamawa State, Barr. Yakubu Wali; Member of NFF Executive Committee, Mr. Timothy Heman Magaji; NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi; Hon. Commissioner for Sports in Taraba State, Mr. Joseph Joshua; Chairman of Adamawa FA, Mr. Waziri Furo Gawe; Chairman of Gombe State FA, Mr. Yakubu Sarma; Hon. Sajo Mohammed; Chairman of Yobe State FA, Alhaji Garba Mohammed; NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire; NFF’s Head of Member Associations, Ali Abubakar Muhammad; SA to NFF President, Danladi Umar and; Super Falcons’ Assistant Coach, Justin Madugu.

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Sports

FIFA MA Course: Gusau, FIFA instructors harp on hard work, integrity and fraternity

Published

59 mins ago

June 19, 2025

The Gleamer

The two-week FIFA Member Associations Course for physical and technical instructors, and Young Talents came to a close in Abuja on Thursday with FIFA Technical Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed publicly declaring his confidence in the ability of Nigeria’s budding arbiters to reach unprecedented heights in the vocation globally.

The physical and technical instructors’ course was activated between 9^th – 13^thJune, while the Young Talents programme lasted between Sunday, 15^th – Thursday, 19^th June 2025.

President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), who also doubles as President of WAFU B, told the young talents to endeavour to put all they have learnt during the course into practice, as the Federation is in the process of elevating more of the young talents to take on higher responsibilities, such as handling matches of the Nigeria Premier Football League.

“I am happy that now, we have a total of 86 young talents in our refereeing pool. This deeply gladdens my heart. Last year, we had 40 people undertake this course, and this year, we have 46. Let me reveal to you that 10 of those young talents from last year have been elevated to the NPFL, and none of them was found wanting throughout the season.

“Their record of performance gives great hope to yourselves, and also shows that the NFF is right in our commitment to the young talents. However, in order to keep improving, I charge you to always find ways to fraternize, collaborate in all aspects, and bond together to jointly and severally enhance your capacities.”

Mohamed, who is from Somalia, said: “I am very satisfied with the group that we worked with over the past one week – the young talents. Their level of assimilation is very high and I see them going places in the work of refereeing. Please always have integrity at the back of your mind in whatever you do.

“We know Nigeria is everywhere, qualifying for all major tournaments and winning trophies and putting up podium performances here and there. But it will also be good to have Nigerian referees not only in the AFCON but also at the FIFA World Cup. Having worked with these young ones for the past one week, I can tell you with assurance that the future of Nigerian refereeing is in very good hands.”

President of NRA, Hon. Sani Zubairu thanked FIFA and the NFF for the success of the programme, and asserted that the growing confidence in Nigerian referees at home and abroad can be traced to the support that the referees continue to get from the NFF for their capacity-enhancing programmes, and the intentionality of the NFF President.

FIFA Fitness Instructor Boubaker Hanachi from Tunisia was also present at the closing ceremony, as well as Nigerian instructors Felicia Okwugba, Peter Edibe, Cecilia Ugbuji, Emmanuel Imiere, Stella Emoji and Promise Uwaeme.

There were also President of the NRA, Hon. Sani Zubairu; Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Madam Faith Irabor; deputy chairman Rafiu Umar Gusau; members of the committee, Kabiyesi James Odeniran, Calistus Chukwudi Chukwujekwu, Dr Bello Mohammed, Abraham Zakowi, Waziri Abba Gawe and secretary, Mohammed Ameenu; NFF’s Director of Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire and; Chairman of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Isah Ladan Bosso.

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