CAF Safe Stadium Initiative: CAF commends NFF, charges participants to be change agents
The first-ever CAF Safe Stadium Initiative Workshop in Nigeria came to a close in the Federal Capital, Abuja on Thursday.
The workshop drew participants from diverse sectors, including the 20 Nigeria Premier Football League clubs and was impactful for the participants, as they acquired new skills and knowledge of how to safeguard and protect lives and properties within the stadium environment.
The last day of the workshop saw the resource persons from CAF, led by the Head of CAF Safety and Security, Dr Christian Emeruwa, take a tour of the MKO Abiola National Stadium for an enlightened practical session of the initiative, teaching and with emphasis on crowd control.
While speaking, Dr Emeruwa expressed his deepest appreciation to the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation for their commitment in ensuring that the workshop was a success.
He noted that the initiative will usher in a new lease of life in the area of managing the operations of safety and security in the country.
‘Let me start by sending my deepest appreciation to the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation for their uprightness and commitment in making this workshop a reality.
‘A new dawn is taking place on the continent of Africa when it comes to the area of managing safety and security operations, and for all the participants that have been involved today in the last minute training, it is now your responsibility to carry the torch and begin to make the little changes required for football in Nigeria to be played in a safe and secure environment for all.
‘Personally, I do not expect to see a one hundred percent turn-around overnight, but I believe you can start taking steps to improve the situation around your competition zones, the VIP area, your media area, as well as general spectator-areas. If we do this, we are sure to solve seventy-five percent of our problems and, more importantly, prevent deaths in our stadiums.’
The General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, expressed happiness and thanked Dr Emeruwa for his perseverance in ensuring that Nigeria profited from the initiative.
He declared the workshop closed by charging the participants to be polite in the discharge of their duties “It is important that when you want to address issues, you should be polite, in order that you do not have problems with anybody while going about to implement the knowledge of this workshop that you all have acquired.”
Certificates of participation were presented to all the participants at the end of the workshop.
