Dikko Promises Partnership with NAWIS to support, promote Female Athletes 

Oru Leonard 

The Chairman of National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko has promised robust engagement with the Association of Nigerian Women in Sports (NAWIS) to promote and support Female athletes in whatever sports of their choice and interest.

According to him, this is aimed at encouraging the athletes to put more efforts towards achieving national goals for their initiatives and programmes.

Shehu made this promise when the Association paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abuja.

He commended NAWIS for promoting and protecting the interest of the female gender in Sports, as well as their huge contribution to the growth and development of Sports in Nigeria.

To this end, the Commission boss said all suggestions as well as objectives of the Association would be given due consideration, adding that deliberate steps would be taken to address all the issues listed and even more, to ensure the Association achieves more in terms of its det goals.

Assuring NAWIS of the Commission’s support and cooperation at all times, especially in terms of what is due to the Association, Mallam Dikko promised that women would be carried along in all sporting activities and programmes of the current administration.

Furthermore, he said this is a new dawn where qualified women across board would be brought into positions not just within the Commission, but also in Sporting Federations and sectors, because “what women are doing in our Sports today should be our comparative advantage even in football”.

For him, both active and retired female athletes would be accommodated and given their pride of place in this new administration.

Another route of welfare the Chairman plans to follow up is Pension Fund for the retired Sports men and women. A project he started in 2002 would commence again God’s willing now that we are fortunate to be at the driver’s seat, “because it is what we plan to activate for approvals”. With this kind of welfare, it will cover both the active and retired sports men and women.

Mallam Shehu said; “The funding we will get here is to solve the problem in sports in the country, and if we are able to do that and have a sustainable photo frame work, it will triple down to all groups, female, male, kids. Everyone would beable to have enough funds to run and supports programmes, we can also provide the infrastructure in getting things done. In doing this, he said, women would be given priority.”

Additionally, the Chairman informed the Association the Sports Commission would not only focus on the usual idea of promoting programmes and games, but also sees itself as the regulator who sets the framework for Sports growth and development across the country.

“So now, we will work on direct regulation to ensure we protect girls and women in sports to eliminate all the vices within our Sports parameters”, he said.

He urged the Association to keep educating and encouraging female athletes to speak up whenever the needs arises, and not being afraid of anyone, but knowing that they have the full support and back up of the Commission at all times.

Dikko also pledged his support in training and retraining the female coaches, technical personnel’s and other female athletes in the country, knowing the huge contributions they put in, towards the overall success of Sports in Nigeria. Giving special attention to the disabled.

Noting that Nigeria was among the first set of countries to appoint female coaches as referees for their matches, he said; “Part of the things we are doing here is upscaling the ACT, not reviewing, to make it much more better, to deliver on Mr. President mandate of creating sports economy, we also use the ACT to solve the problems we have”.

In her remarks, the President of Association of Nigerian Women in Sports (NAWIS), Professor Mariam A. Suleiman, told Commission Chairman that the association above was established by Prof. F. B. Adeyanju at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

She said the idea was to stimulate participation and advancement of girls, and women In sports in Nigeria, adding that Association’s mission is to foster personal fulfilment in sports among women and girls in Nigeria while also contributing to national development and achievement through Sports.

Prof Mariam said the Commission would achieve a lot of successes in sports by involving women in its marketing and sponsorship drives, stressing that sports is a big business globally where women can play significant roles in enhancing the improvement of personal and national economy through Sports.