Governing Bodies
NFF MOURNS AS UKAIGWE, FOREMOST WOMEN FOOTBALL FIGURE, DIES
Nigerian Football was again thrown into a state of mourning on Tuesday after news broke of the death of leading women football promoter and administrator, Henrietta Ukaigwe.
Ukaigwe, a member of the Board of the Nigeria Women Football League, has for several decades been at the vanguard of promoting the game of women’s football in Nigeria and even beyond these shores, playing a key role in the wide traction gained by the game from the 1990s as Nigeria’s Super Falcons relentlessly dominated the African game and became a permanent fixture in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Imo State –born journalist was at the head of a corps of women’s football-passionate reporters and stakeholders who birthed the Female Football Interest Group, comprising a number of individuals who actively promoted and energetically projected the women’s game and made it an item of consequence in the media and public space across the nation from the nineties.
This group did not only report the game; it coalesced efforts and resources to organize women’s football tournaments and provided much-needed stout and meaningful support to administrators at that incipient stage.
They also worked assiduously with the precursor-proprietors, including Chief (Mrs) Simbiat Abiola, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, Elder Eddington Kuejubola, Princess Bola Jegede, Chief Christopher Abisuga, Mr. Larry Eze, Alhaja Rashidat Oladimeji and Chief (Mrs) Gina Yeseibo to stoke serious interest and mainstream support for the game even before a league was launched. Their efforts reaped bounteous rewards, as Nigeria and other African countries raised women’s national teams at senior, intermediate and junior levels to compete in competitions that FIFA launched with only moderate expectations.
Today, Nigeria’s domestic women’s football has 20 clubs in the premier division, with 12 in the pro division and dozens in the amateur cadre, counting both registered and unregistered teams. Nationally, the Super Falcons, Falconets and Flamingos are fixtures at their different FIFA tournaments, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup and the FIFA U17 Women’s Cup have carved their own niche and continue to thrive.
Ukaigwe worked at the Vanguard Newspapers, MINAJ Broadcasting Service, Super Screen television and a couple of other media houses before serving as Co-ordinator of the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons. A couple of years ago, she was appointed into the Board of the Nigeria Women Football League headed by another ace promoter of the women’s game, Aisha Falode.
“The death of Henrietta Ukaigwe is a devastating blow to the game of women’s football in Nigeria. We are still in rude shock at her premature departure, but we collectively take solace in the fact that she left her formidable footprints in the sands of time.
“We pray that God will give her eternal rest and also grant those she has left behind the fortitude to bear the big loss,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said in Abuja.
Governing Bodies
Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.
Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.
The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.
It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May 1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.
Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.
The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.
In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.
This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.
They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open.
Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.
Governing Bodies
Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports
Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.
The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”
He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.
“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.
“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.
“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”
Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.
The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.
“The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.”
RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Governing Bodies
CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball
The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.
The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA”
The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.
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