“Words alone can not describe the loss of Henrietta Ukaigwe. She was a warrior for the cause of Nigerian women football development. A crusader who wanted to see women football on top all the time. Rest in peace until we meet to part no more.”
Those were the exact words of Ms Aisha Falode, Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League board when she broke the news to Nigerian football lovers, on the demise of a prominent board member of the NWFL, Henrietta Ukaigwe, who passed on in the early hours of Tuesday, July 14, 2020.
The shocking news was announced by the Spokesman of the NWFL, Dapo Sotuminu.
Henrietta Ukaigwe was a foremost female football advocate, a one -time Coordinator of the Super Falcons of Nigeria and the president of the Female Football Interest Group (FFIG).
She was known as a passionate women football writer and a team player that, at various times, loyally and diligently served in three regimes of the Nigeria Women Football Department of the Nigeria Football Federation, headed at different times by ace women football juggernauts; Princess Bola Jegede , Alhaja Ayo Omidiran and Ms Aisha Falode.
“You can not juxtapose the investment she has put in the women’s game in all spheres from the grassroots level to the almost stable NWFL Premiership, Pro-League and the Nationwide, we have today.
The torrent of positive tributes by all, is a testimony that we have indeed lost a gem in the women’s game not only in Nigeria but in Africa ” Aisha rounded off in a heartbroken mood.
Henrietta’s last official function was at the NWFL Media Officer’s Training in Lagos, where she was the event coordinator and also doubled as one of the Resource Persons that took the participants on various ways of becoming well grounded Club Media Officer.
She also played assigned roles spelt out by the board of the NWFL at the 2018/2019 Super 4 competition, at the Agege Stadium, Lagos, where Rivers Angels emerged league champion.
Henrietta Ukaigwe left at time she was most needed to give expert advise on Nigeria’s historic outing at the CAF Women’s Champions League, a dream she had long shared with Madam Aisha Falode.
