Barrister Paul Edeh, Chairman of the Benue State Football Association (BSFA) and founder of Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF) has called for women to take on more leadership roles in the management of women’s club football in Nigeria.
He expressed his concerns over the composition of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Board, highlighting the need for more representation of women’s football.
Edeh made these remarks during the 2023/24 Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) Annual General Assembly held in Lagos.
He believes that women are fully capable of managing women’s clubs in the NWFL and emphasizes the importance of addressing the gender imbalance within the NFF Executive Board.
He stated, “It’s unfair for Nigeria’s women’s football to have just the NWFL in the NFF Board, while the men’s domestic league is represented by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), and the Nationwide League One (NLO).”
Edeh proposed that the NWFL Board should have representatives from different Women’s League Divisions, including the NWFL-Premiership, Championship, and NWFL-Nationwide.
This, he believes, would ensure fairness, and equality, and contribute to the growth of women’s football in Nigeria.
He also commended the NWFL Board, under the leadership of Aisha Falode, for entrusting State Football Associations with the responsibility of coordinating the State Women’s League, particularly the third-tier division.
This development is seen as beneficial for the grassroots development of women’s football.
As part of his commitment to supporting women’s football, Edeh announced that the Benue State Football Association (BSFA) would contribute Two Million Naira (#2,000,000) to the Benue State Women’s League project.
This financial support demonstrates the BSFA’s dedication to promoting women’s football at the state level.
Edeh’s call for greater women’s involvement in football leadership echoes the global trend of advocating for gender equality in sports administration.
With more women actively participating in management roles, Nigerian women’s football can continue to thrive and make strides on the national and international stages.
