Nigeria Builds Local Rugby Expertise as World Rugby Training Ends in Abuja
Nigeria's rugby federation is investing in coaches, referees and medical personnel as World Rugby training strengthens the sport's technical capacity across the country.
Nigeria is strengthening the technical foundation of its rugby programme after a three-day World Rugby development course brought coaches, referees and medical personnel together in Abuja.
The programme, organised by the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF), focused on improving the skills and certification of the people responsible for coaching, officiating and player welfare.
About 80 participants took part in the seminar and workshop, with the federation expecting the training to have an impact beyond Abuja and into rugby communities across the country.
For NRFF President Ademola Aré, the real test begins after the course.
He urged participants to return to their states and use what they had learned to develop coaches, referees and players while working with state associations, sports councils and ministries of sports.
“Rugby needs you,” Aré said, stressing that the sport's growth would depend on how effectively the participants transferred their knowledge to their communities.
One of the more significant developments highlighted during the programme is Nigeria's growing pool of World Rugby-trained educators.
Robert Bwari, World Rugby's East and Southern Africa Game Growth Manager, said Nigeria now has educators capable of training coaches and referees locally, meaning the country will increasingly require overseas educators mainly for supervision rather than basic delivery of courses.
That could make a difference in a sport where expanding the number of qualified technical personnel is essential to building a sustainable development pipeline.
The NRFF has also been increasing its focus on formal certification. A separate Level 1 and Level 2 coaching and refereeing programme held during the same development push attracted more than 80 participants, with the federation describing qualified coaches, referees and medical personnel as critical to Nigeria's ability to compete internationally.
The emphasis on medical expertise is particularly important in a contact sport such as rugby.
World Rugby's own education system includes specialised training covering first aid, immediate care, concussion management and match-day medical responsibilities, reflecting the growing importance of player welfare alongside technical performance.
The Abuja programme also coincided with the appointment of Angulu Suleiman as NRFF Technical Director, while the federation announced six ambassadors to support its activities across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.
For Suleiman, the training provides a foundation, but the responsibility now shifts to the participants to turn that knowledge into measurable development.
That means producing more qualified coaches and referees, strengthening local competitions and creating clearer pathways for young Nigerians who want to enter the sport.
Nigeria's rugby challenge is therefore no longer simply about getting more players onto the field.
It is about building the coaching, officiating and medical infrastructure capable of supporting those players as the sport expands.
If the knowledge gained in Abuja is successfully transferred into states and communities across the country, the three-day programme could become more than another training exercise. It could form part of the longer-term effort to build a deeper and more self-sufficient rugby system in Nigeria.