NRFF, National Institute for Sports Explore Partnership to Boost Rugby Development
Oru Leonard
The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has commenced discussions with the National Institute for Sports (NIS) on a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening sports development, coaching education and grassroots rugby across Nigeria.
The partnership proposal was the focus of a courtesy visit by an NRFF delegation to the Lagos campus of the Institute, where both organisations explored opportunities for collaboration in coaching education, technical development, talent identification and grassroots sports promotion.
As part of its commitment to the proposed collaboration, the Federation donated rugby balls and other sporting equipment to support the NIS Coaches Olympics, one of the activities lined up for the Institute’s forthcoming Students’ Week celebration.
Speaking during the visit, the representative of the NRFF President, Mr. Azeez Ladipo, said rugby has witnessed remarkable growth in Nigeria, with the sport now being played in 20 states and over 3,000 young Nigerians aged between 10 and 18 participating in non-contact rugby programmes.
He disclosed that the Federation aims to increase participation to 10,000 young players before the end of the year through an aggressive grassroots expansion initiative.
Ladipo also highlighted Nigeria’s rise from 24th to seventh in the African rugby rankings, describing it as evidence of the Federation’s commitment to developing the sport. He added that the NRFF is targeting qualification for the rugby event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
According to him, the proposed partnership should include the introduction of professional rugby coaching and technical courses at the National Institute for Sports to enable Nigerian coaches obtain internationally recognised certifications and enhance the country’s technical capacity.
Responding on behalf of the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, H.E. Comrade Philip Shaibu, the Institute’s Registrar, Mr. Belmond Benson, welcomed the initiative, describing the Federation’s decision to engage the Institute as a strategic partner as timely and commendable.
He reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to supporting programmes that promote coaching excellence, capacity building, research and sports development in line with its national mandate.
Also speaking, the Institute’s Visiting Professor, Prof. Fasun, stressed the need to increase awareness of rugby at the grassroots level through education on the rules and regulations of the game. He advocated the use of instructional videos and other educational resources to encourage wider participation and improve understanding of the sport.
The meeting was attended by representatives of both organisations, including the NRFF delegation led by Mr. Azeez Ladipo on behalf of the Federation’s President, Dr. Ademola Are. Also present were Orji Amarachi Favour, an NRFF member and student coach at the National Institute for Sports, as well as members of the Institute’s Students’ Union Government led by its President.
Both institutions agreed that the engagement marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration. They resolved to continue consultations on the scope of the partnership and develop Memoranda of Understanding where necessary to formalise the relationship.
The proposed partnership is expected to strengthen sports education, improve coaching opportunities and accelerate grassroots rugby development in Nigeria.
