NEITI Advices NFF Not To Hire Foreign Coach

Hiring foreign coaches drains foreign exchange, according to NEITI, which cautions NFF against doing so

Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the executive secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), has advised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership not to pursue foreign coaches for the Super Eagles.

Orji issued the caution in response to the public discussions that are now taking place around the hiring of a foreign or local coach to build on the Super Eagles' recent accomplishments at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

As much as NEITI values the contributions international coaches have made to Nigeria's sports industry, he stated that maintaining the national teams' reliance on foreign coaches is a significant cause of capital flight and an unnecessary drain on the country's foreign money.

“We in NEITI also believe that the mentality and dependence on foreign is the same mentality that led Nigeria to oil dependency and also the same mentality to develop appetite for foreign goods.

“If we compute how much we have spent on hiring foreign coaches over these years, the impact on our economy and sports development, it will be clear that the investment is not worth it.

“I therefore join the call for NFF to use the current window now open to give out local coaches a chance to show what they can offer. Allow them to make mistakes, learn from their mistakes and grow. As a prominent sporting nation, we should set an example by giving the right of first refusal to local coaches that emerges through international competitive bids. And when they have a chance to lead our national teams, they need support, encouragements through exposure to high level training,” Orji said.

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Orji stated that NEITI is prepared to collaborate with the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) to launch the campaign as a significant national discussion, while pleading with Nigeria's sports authorities to implement intentional steps to reduce Nigeria's reliance on foreign specialists that can be obtained locally.

“These issues are of concern to NEITI because sports have become an important element of state policy, huge investment gold mines, source of employment to our talented youths, revenue generation for low and middle level families, poverty reduction and a beacon of hope for our national unity.

“NEITI therefore appeals to our sports authorities to put deliberate measures in place to lessen Nigeria's dependence on so-called foreign experts when we can source this manpower locally."

NEITI is prepared and eager to collaborate with the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in order to launch this campaign as a significant national discussion.

“Ordinarily, many will be in doubt about the relationship between the work we do in NEITI and development of sports. For those who may be in doubt, sports affects all known human development including extractive industries where the bulk of the money found in sports activities are derived from in Nigeria.”