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Amarignis.blogspot.com holds very strongly the contents of the paper delivered by the chairman of the Nigeria Women's League board,Dilichukwu Onyedinma on the Abuja, 2015 Sports Writers Association of Nigeria(SWAN) Week Lecture.It is a vital document and should be a working paraphernalia for the Nigeria Football Federation,to leverage upon in navigating the way forward for the Women's Football in Nigeria
NIGERIA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL, YESTERDAY, TODAY
BY
CHIEF
(MRS.) DILICHUKWU ONYEDINMA (CHAIRPERSON,
NIGERIA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR (SPORTS) FCT SPORTS COUNCIL)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Historically, Football was an
exclusive men’s sport, globally.
However, with the innovations
instituted by FIFA, Women’s Football started to gain pace and momentum
worldwide.
It is also on record that culture
and religious factors brought a hindrance in the development of Women’s
Football, especially in some parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
But countries in the West who did
not have such obstacles went on and even placed women’s Football on equal
footing with Men’s.
European Clubs have been mandated by
UEFA to establish Women’s Clubs, to run side by side, with their men’s clubs,
and drawing their funding for growth and development from such clubs.
America has even gone further than
that by providing scholarships for their very talented footballers and even
making them to earn huge sums of money as wages from their clubs.
In Africa, Women’s Football
development has witnessed a tortuous and very painful growth.
Ironically, Nigeria which is thought
to have the best league on the Continent is now being challenged by Countries
like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana among others, due to
the excellent funding the Leagues in those countries receive from their
Federations.
The players from other countries in
Africa who saw Nigeria as the Mecca of their career soon returned to their home
countries, whose leagues were better funded.
FIFA has a standing regulation for
all Federations to commit 15% of their annual subventions, to the development
of the women’s game. And this goes directly to the country’s League body.
While the rival countries in Africa
received huge and encouraging funding from their Federations, the same cannot
be said of Nigeria, even though the quality of their League is far below.
Women’s Football started in Nigeria
in 1978 with the formation of the Nigeria Female Football Organizing
Association (NIFFOA), which later metamorphosed in 1979 to Nigeria Female
Football Proprietors Association (NIFFPA).
Earlier clubs that joined the
Association were Jegede Babes, Ufuoma Babes, Larry Angels, Kakanfo Babes among
others. The then Nigeria Football Association organized its first championship
in 1990 which was won by Jegede Babes - this was after Nigeria Women’s Team had
participated in the first FIFA organized World Women’s Championship in China in
1991.
NIGERIA’S
EXPERIENCE
In terms of funding, Nigeria ranks amongst
the least in Africa.
In few African Countries, Women’s
Football leagues receive heavy funding from their Federation as well as get the
whole of the 15% of the FIFA’s yearly Women Football Development grant,
directly into their account via their Federations.
Despite this, we have been able to
take the league beyond where it was yesterday.
We provided a new logo for the
Nigeria Women’s Football League, and flagged off various grassroots programs in
some states.
We established the Women’s Premier
League, the Women Professional League, and the Women’s Amateur League.
We provided statutes which was not
in existence before now, for the League, and registered the Nigeria Women’s
Football League with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
All activities of the League are
fully computerized, and our fans and media personnel (s) can easily get whatever
information they need from the league without stress.
The League has succeeded in
providing the entire various Women’s National teams with players that have won
laurels for the country.
It is on record that Asisat Oshoala
was playing in the League when she won the golden ball in Japan, and
subsequently named Africa Player of the Year (2014). MVP
in Namibia, BBC African Woman Footballer of the Year 2014.We equally have
several of our Players plying their soccer trade abroad.
South Africa Women’s Football League
just commenced their league this year and they were given a whopping $1 million
(One Million Dollars) take-off grant, with a promise of a yearly $2.5 Million
support for the next five years.
Nigeria Women’s Football League got
Zero kobo on take-off.
Yet our dominance on the African
Continent is in no doubt over the years and we still remain Africa’s number
one.
This is as a result of the NWFL’s
league resolve to continue to bring about unparalleled innovations, programs
and systems that are second to none on the African continent.
However, with very huge funds
injected by other African countries into their leagues, they are fast catching
up with Nigeria and this means we must step up our efforts in this regard, lest
they catch up with us in no distant future.
However, our joy is that the present
Board of the NFF, led by Mr. Amaju
Pinnick, has promised that henceforth, that whatever that is due for
Women’s Football Development would be remitted directly to them.
We earnestly hinge our hope on this
great promise!
WOMEN’s FOOTBALL IN NIGERIA IN FUTURE
FIFA has frowned at those Countries
that underfund their domestic leagues and the development of their women’s Football
in particular.
For us to meet with the models
attainable in European and American countries, we must urgently do the
following:
1. Women’s
Football should be introduced in schools and; this will make many female youth
to participate in the game with scholarships given to identify talents in other
to keep them. This is why we deliberately designed our Logo with FOUR EEEES
which stands for, education, employment, empowerment and entertainment.
2. Synergy
should be created between women’s Football clubs with the existing male teams.
Here, the established male teams should be mandated to adopt the female teams. For
instance, Arsenal Football clubs (men) and Arsenal Ladies, Liverpool men and
women and others.
3. Policies
should be put in place to involve the women in the decision making body as it
relates to sports.
4. Recruit,
retain and reward women’s Football players, coaches and administrators just as
the men.
5. Provide
enabling and interesting training centers and Facilities to inspire young
players. This will make them stronger, healthier, and help to develop their
skills and overcome significant cultural and societal barriers.
6. Organize
a lot of competitions for women’s Football teams; this is because competition is
key to sustainability of success.
7. Men
should show interest in women’s Football in order to help the women achieve
success.
8. Corporate
bodies should show interest in sponsorship of Women’s Football League in the
country.
9. Funds
provided for the NWFL as presented and approved in the annual budgetary
provisions of the country should be released to the NWFL in order to
better its league and institute fundamental and far reaching developmental
programs that will be result oriented.
10. The
amount provided for in the existing Glo Contract for 2015 should be released to
the NWFL in full. At the expiration of the Glo contract, NWFL should be freed
from the contract, so that it can seek and negotiate its own terms either with
Glo or any other Organization.
11. The
15% FIFA Women’s Football Development grant should be released to the NWFL as
is the practice in other established Leagues and Footballing countries.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
The National Women's Football team
of Nigeria, called the Super Falcons, is still the most
successful national team in Africa, having won nine out of the eleven African
Women’s Championship titles.( 1991, 1995, 1998*, 2000, 2002*, 2004, 2006*,
2010, 2014)
While it took the Super Eagles 40
years to make the first appearance at the FIFA Men’s World cup in 1994, the
Super Falcons qualified at first trial in 1991.
The Super Falcons are currently
number one in Africa and 34 in the World FIFA ranking.
Our Domestic League has produced
quality players for the past four years that have helped the players to win
great laurels.
The team has been to every World Cup
since 1991 and succeeded in, finishing in the top eight on one occasion. The
team has been in every of the Olympic Games except the London 2012 and Rio 2016
Games, which they failed to qualify for due to sabotage.
The National Women’s U-20 team, the
"Falconets" is the country’s junior team; it has been to every
FIFA U-20 finals since the competition made its debut in Canada. The Falconets
are ranked Number ONE in Africa as well, and second in the World.
The Falconets were runners-up to
Germany at the 2010 finals, after losing 0-2 to Germany in the final.
They played semi-finals in Japan
2012 and again played finals in Canada 2014 where Asisat Oshoala won the Golden
ball and the Golden boot award.
The "Flamingoes"
are the country’s cadet team (U-17), and qualified for the inaugural women's
U-17 World Cup New Zealand 2008, and has not missed out of the tournament since
then. They got to the quarter finals three times-2010, 2012, and 2014.
Again, let me emphasize here .That the
players for the various national teams are products of OUR VERY VIBRANT Women’s
League in our Country.
CONCLUSION
Nigeria Women’s Football is rampant
and dominant on the African Continent.
With more efforts and financial
assistance, especially the release of the funds that are due to the League,
Nigeria would be better placed to lift the various categories of Women’s World
Cup.
I am very confident that the future
of Women’s Football in Nigeria will be brighter, if only we embrace the new
trends in the development of the Women’s game worldwide.
We should make haste while the sun
shines, by ensuring we up the ante and be prepared to face the current still challenge
and competition from other African nations that are gradually narrowing the gap
between us.
We make a special appeal to well-meaning
individuals, corporate Nigeria and Governments to support the sustainable
growth and development of the Women’s Football in Nigeria.
Finally, I want to earnestly thank
my President, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick
and the amiable leadership he has provided so far, especially exemplified by his
renewed vigour and interest in Women’s Football.
KINDEST REGARDS TO:
1. ALL Stakeholders and my board
members.
2. Lovers of Women’s Football,
Nigerian Women.
3. Nigeria Football Federation.
4. The Sports Writers Association of
Nigeria (SWAN)
5. Long Live to our dear country
Nigeria.
Na go de!
Ese Pupo!
Daalu o!
Many thanks for your attention
Dilichukwu Onyedinma
Chairperson NWFL
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