Fame Foundation made a case and demanded government at all levels inclusion and financial empowerment for women in sports based on their enormous contributions to developing the sporting industry.
The demand was made by Executive Director, Fame Foundation, Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, during her address of welcome at the Women & Sports Dialogue 2023 tagged ‘Developing a Viable Commercial and Impactful Blueprint for Women Football Development’.
Ogunleye-Bello said the government should ensure that women are inclusive in sports, especially football, and are financially equipped and paid equally as their male counterparts as Nigerian sportswomen have enormously contributed to projecting Nigeria’s image globally.
According to her, the 4th edition of the Women and Sports Dialogue’ is to chart a new course for the women’s game and athletes, and also to push gender equality in sports and other areas where women need to be appreciated.
She said: “I am particularly elated by the fact that this event brings together all the relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian Sports ecosystem to share experiences and discuss how women’s sports can be better and also how sports can be used as a combined powerful tool to push the gender equality and equity narrative to benefit of the women’s game and the athletes.”
Meanwhile, a former Director General of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Alhassan Yakmut, stressed that there would be a need for women to be involved in sports, especially football, also adding that women should take advantage of the commercialization of women’s football in order to ensure that women are financially empowered.
“A critical step towards establishing gender equality in sports is the growth of women’s football commercial importance.
“To achieve this, we must concentrate on gaining more media attention, securing sponsorship and extensive interaction with fans.
“The fan base can be expanded by increasing women’s football profitability and giving players greater opportunities as well as highlighting their talents.
“It is crucial that we keep working to give them the same chances and recognition as their male counterparts”, he added.
However, Yakmut acknowledged that women also in sports in Nigeria face a lot of socio-cultural challenges, which also infringe on their rights as equal citizens with their male counterparts.
“Actually, if you are trying to measure the comparison, you must also look at cultural issues; first of all bridge the cultural differences before you bring in the technical component.
“But be it as it may, the reason why sports have been the platform of promotion for gender equality is that it allows fundamentally as a human right for any gender to participate in sports.
“In view of this, Nigeria will need to capitalize on it by making sure that the girl-child is given equal opportunity to access sports activities from the earliest possible age” he pointed out.
He also added that “The case of the Nigerian Female Football League and Development would require reorganization, repackaging, and constructive marketing management as well as a qualitative club management system with full government start-up capital under the youth empowerment program.”
On the issue of lack of competition amongst sportswomen and role models, the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister for Youths and Sports Development, Mary Onyali, said, “Ladies should be encouraged to have more competitions, and also incentives should be provided for both amateurs and professionals in sports.”
