Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has announced the launch of the Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation NIS Coaching Education Scholarship, an initiative aimed at supporting grassroots coaches across Nigeria through formal training and professional development. Ajibade disclosed the initiative in a post on her X handle, where she reflected on the role……
Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has announced the launch of the Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation NIS Coaching Education Scholarship, an initiative aimed at supporting grassroots coaches across Nigeria through formal training and professional development.
Ajibade disclosed the initiative in a post on her X handle, where she reflected on the role a grassroots coach played in shaping her football career and highlighted the challenges faced by coaches working at the community level.
The Nigerian international, who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Féminines, said her success was made possible by a coach who believed in her despite having limited resources and receiving little recognition.
“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.
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“And I did. By God’s grace, I play for @PSG_Feminines and I captain the Super Falcons of Nigeria,” she wrote.
Ajibade lamented the lack of investment in grassroots coaches, noting that many continue to nurture young talents without access to formal training, certification or institutional support.
“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,” she said.
The forward explained that the scholarship programme was created to bridge that gap and empower coaches who play a critical role in developing future athletes.
“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,” she stated.
Ajibade stressed that coaches are often the foundation of every athlete’s journey and called on individuals and organisations to support efforts aimed at strengthening grassroots sports development.
“Behind every great Nigerian athlete is a coach who believed in them first.
“Let us invest in those coaches.
“If you believe what I believe that Nigerian sport changes from the ground up, not the top down, share this. Invest in this. Be a part of this,” she added.
The football star said the initiative is designed to provide coaching education opportunities and contribute to the long-term development of sports at the grassroots level in Nigeria.
