The activities of women’s football development in Nigeria in recent times have drawn the attention of more sports stakeholders, particularly those in the football community.
Chief (Mrs.) Dilichukwu Onyedinma, the former Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), was the most recent speaker. She claimed that domestic women’s football in the nation is gradually collapsing and that, if immediate action was not taken, all previous gains would be completely lost due to poor administration.
The current chairwoman of the NWPL, Aisha Falode, had earlier attacked the former NWFL board by asserting that the nation’s women’s football league is now better organised and managed.
It was reported that Falode said, “With the former board, they never got a single sponsorship and the league witnessed so much retrogression with the highest number of walk overs in the history of women’s football in Nigeria.”
To the shock of many football fans, Mrs. Onyedinma wondered why the current leadership would simply be left in the hands of one person with subpar football management skills after the NWFL was professionally managed from pro-level (division two standard) under her watch as board chairperson.
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“I chose to watch events play out out of maturity. It is embarrassing to learn that Folade is comparing our legacy in women’s football to her directionless and visionless leadership.
“Where do I begin? What is the current state of women’s domestic football development? One person is in charge, and as a result, everything is crumbling. No more responsibility. Nothing to hang onto. Unlike what happened when we were there, no fresh grassroots players have emerged in the last five years or so.
She reportedly has difficulty calling Congress on a yearly basis. The NWFL is currently run like a state league. Congresses were held without any problems at the appropriate times and in various states while I served as the chair of a board that was properly constituted. There is no way a leadership structure that is typically intended for a full board structure can work effectively with just one person making decisions by themselves.
“We didn’t have to run cap in hand to the NFF begging for money when we were growing up. The board, which was properly appointed through an election, always looked for funding to adequately carry out our programmes.
“As a board, we gave a thorough account of everything we did, and the documented copies are available for everyone to see. According to Mrs. Onyedinma, a former executive board member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), “These days, there are claims of sponsorship agreements with no details for the clubs to see.
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The current NWFL leadership, which was renewed two years ago, has been in place for more than five years, operating in violation of the NFF hierarchy’s requirements by not having a properly constituted board.
Aisha Folade was reappointed as NWFL Chairperson in 2020, and this medium has learned exclusively that the nation’s football body instructed that a board comprised of nine members, including six representatives from participating clubs and two independent board members, be constituted in accordance with the applicable article via an official memo dated January 14, 2020.
However, investigations showed that, up until the time this report was filled, the League lacked an elected and legally constituted board.
