The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has pledged support for the Nigeria Women’s Football League board.
Mr. Dalung made the pledge while declaring open the 2017 General Congress of the NWFL in Abuja.
The Minister promised that the Federal Government will continue to invest and support sports and maintain a cordial working relationship with neighbours who have supported the country in maintaining peace and security within the West African sub-region.
He praised the various national women’s teams for holding their heads high amongst their peers in Africa and at the global stage despite the attention on men’s football in Nigeria.
“The Women have proved that they can play football more than men. They have demonstrated this in maintaining their status in the Women’s Championship in Africa, 8 times.
They have not only made us proud as a country in Africa, but have also established the fact that with better investment, women’s football will be greater.”
Dalung who is the first serving minister of Youth and Sports to grace the annual congress of the women’s board challenged the new leadership to work round the clock to mobilize support for women’s football in Nigeria.
“Despite acknowledging that sponsorship and funding are the bane of sports in Nigeria, I challenge this board to rebrand their products so that the league can have sponsors, partners and investors declaring interest in it.
“The days where government will be the sole financier of sports is over. Therefore, the league managers must think outside the box, rebrand and influence investors and sponsors. Anything besides this will lead to lack of support and there will be dwindling fortunes in women’s football”
The Minister also charged the board to restore discipline in the national teams.
“One of the vices that destroy sports is indiscipline. Where there is indiscipline, the team spirit is destroyed and success becomes limited. Therefore, discipline must be restored in women’s football right from its foundation to the top” the Minister said.
