On 13 June, Nigeria beat São Tomé et Príncipe 10-0 in a qualifying match for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023, the biggest win in the Super Eagles’ proud history. That very week, the country chalked up another handsome victory, albeit off the pitch, at one of its universities. On 14-16 June, the Pan African University for Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI) in Ibadan hosted a workshop entitled Synergy of FIFA FORWARD Programme & African Sustainable Sport Policy. Around 100 speakers and students from all over the continent gathered at the event and helped make it a major success.

“I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to FIFA and PAULESI for this unique workshop,” said Massa Paasewe Johnson, a PAULESI student from Liberia. “Indeed, the workshop was eye-opening for me. It gives me more insight into all the activities of FIFA and its interaction with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and African Union. Moreover, it renews my mind and makes me passionate about sports in Africa and the world at large. I am looking forward to more interactions.” The workshop was made possible thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed by FIFA, African Union and the CAF in 2019 and designed to create joint strategies and programmes in education, good governance, the fight against corruption, and safety and security at football matches.

“It was indeed a great pleasure to co-host this sports workshop at PAULESI in collaboration with FIFA and the University of Ibadan,” said Professor Esther Akinlabi, the director of PAULESI. “It was a delight for many participants to get to know about FIFA, its activities and its impact to the continent of Africa. We see this as just the beginning and are looking forward to more collaboration on this journey of enhancing human capacity development of sports administrators for Africa.” The workshop came to an end with a visit by Dr Mohammed Sanusi, the secretary general of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and a leading figure on the African sports administration scene, and a training session on match organisation and safety at Stade Lekan Salami. The promoting of match security and safety regulations is central to the collaboration between FIFA and the CAF.

“The future of sports administration in Africa is bright, with young people across the continent now becoming increasingly aware of the opportunities within the sport industry,” said Solomon Mudege, FIFA Head of Development Programmes Africa. He added: “We are glad to have organized this workshop with PAULESI. It was great experience to interact with the diverse students from countries such as Nigeria, Chad, Uganda, Djibouti and Ghana, and to contribute to their understanding of football development in Africa. The participation of CAF, the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) and the NFF added to the success of the workshop and was a true illustration of the workshop’s theme.”