Niger has taken a major step toward integrating sport into its national education strategy by signing a memorandum of understanding with FIFA to launch a pioneering school football initiative. The agreement was formalized on Saturday, July 26, in Rabat, as part of the global “FIFA Football for Schools” programme.
Alongside the Central African Republic, Niger is among the first two African countries selected to pilot the initiative, which aims to harness football as a tool for education, inclusion, and social development.
The project is designed to embed football into the school system while promoting values such as teamwork, discipline, and gender equality.
The comprehensive plan involves several key components: training educators beyond just physical education teachers, organizing inter-school football tournaments, encouraging the participation of girls in the sport, and establishing systems to measure the educational and social impacts of the programme.
The signing ceremony took place at FIFA’s newly inaugurated Africa office in Rabat. It was attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, President of the Nigerien Football Federation (FENIFOOT) Issaka Adamou, FIFA Council Member Colonel-Major Djibrilla Hima Hamidou, and senior government officials from Niger — including Dr. Elisabeth Shérif, Minister of National Education, and Sidi Mohamed Almahmoud, Minister of Youth and Sports.
“A Nigerian experience that will serve as a model for the rest of the continent,” said Gianni Infantino, according to a statement by FENIFOOT.
The partnership reflects a broader vision of using football as a vehicle for human development across Africa. By embedding the sport within the school curriculum, the initiative seeks to cultivate a generation of young leaders who thrive both academically and athletically.
The project is expected to roll out in selected schools across Niger in the coming months, marking the beginning of a transformative chapter for youth sports and education in the country.
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