Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has launched a foundation aimed at empowering grassroots football coaches in Nigeria, with the goal of equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to positively shape the next generation of football talent.
Ajibade, who recently joined French champions Paris Saint-Germain, is herself a product of grassroots football. The Nigerian international began her career with the renowned FC Robo before moving abroad to further her development.
Drawing from her own experiences, the forward expressed concern over the declining quality of coaching at the grassroots level, attributing it largely to the neglect of coaches and the limited opportunities available for them to acquire modern coaching education in an ever-evolving football landscape.
To address this challenge, she has introduced the Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation NIS Coaching Education Scholarship, a programme designed to help grassroots coaches obtain professional certification through the National Institute for Sports (NIS) in Lagos.
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According to Ajibade, investing in coaches is one of the most effective ways to improve player development across the country, as better-trained coaches are more likely to nurture technically and tactically sound footballers.
While many current and former football stars have established academies to discover and develop young talents, Ajibade believes strengthening the capacity of grassroots coaches will have a more far-reaching impact on the future of Nigerian football.
“I am a product of a grassroots coach. Someone who showed up for me with no resources, no recognition, just pure belief that I could become something great,” Ajibade wrote on X.
“And I did. By God’s grace, I play for PSG Féminines and I captain the Super Falcons of Nigeria. But as my career grew, I started to notice something that broke my heart.
“The coaches doing this work every single day across Nigeria, on grassroots pitches, in communities, with barely any resources, no one is investing in them. No certificate. No formal training. No support. Just passion. Just love for the game.
“So I made a decision. I started the Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation NIS Coaching Education Scholarship because I believe that if you invest in the coach, you invest in every single player they will ever coach for the rest of their career and for the rest of their lives.
“Behind every great Nigerian athlete is a coach who believed in them first. Let us invest in those coaches.”
Beyond improving coaching standards, the certification programme is expected to enhance coaches’ ability to identify and develop talent while also increasing their professional value and earning potential within the football industry.
Through the initiative, Ajibade hopes to create a lasting impact on Nigerian football by ensuring that the coaches responsible for nurturing future stars receive the education, recognition, and support they deserve.
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