Hajji Gafar Liameed, Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), has reaffirmed his commitment to implementing the agreement with the National Institute for Sports (NIS) regarding the training and certification of coaches in Lagos.
During a courtesy visit to NIS Director-General, Professor Olawale Moronkola, in Lagos, Liameed stated, “NIS coaching training and certification are now mandatory for all coaches in Lagos State to obtain FA Coaching Licensing and operate within the state. We are excited about this valuable opportunity to collaborate with the National Institute for Sports to enhance our coaches’ skills.”
Thanking Professor Moronkola he Chairman for his pragmatism and spirit of sportsmanship, Gafar assured that the FA was ready to continue with the signed MOU since it was done in the best interest of football development in Lagos State.
Gafar disclosed that 52 coaches have been licensed in line with Statutory FA licensing rules which stipulate that only coaches certified by NIS will be recognized by the FA. He said coaches who are not too lettered will be trained in batches of 50 for three months which take place on Saturdays starting from September 14th through to October and November for the first batch. Interpreters will be engaged for the training/certification so that coaches can be properly trained & certified in their most preferred language.
” Our dream is to ensure that at least 2,000 coaches are certified within two years . Hopefully, the training will commence on September 14th, 2024 and it will be done in batches,” he said.
The DG assured that the training/certification will get underway in early September after a brief opening ceremony at the National Institute for Sports Lagos.
The training/certification is part of the vision of Professor Moronkola at ensuring that coaches are upgraded with modern philosophy and technique.