Address by the NWFL board Chairperson, Aisha Falode, on the occasion of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Congress on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the Watercress Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this Congress of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL). Equally, I am most delighted to welcome you heartily to the ‘Centre of Excellence’ and the commercial hub of Nigeria, Lagos State, Land of Aquatic Splendor.
Permit me to observe a one minute silence in memory of the mother of our vice Chairperson, Right Honourable Margaret Incheen, Mama Sarah Ashale Ver Gyado. May her soul rest in perfect peace.
Although, in 2018 which is barely three months old, we have not met officially in any forum to discuss matters affecting the NWFL, but had only being exchanging pleasantries through telephone calls, What Sapp messages and other means of communications at different occasions in the new year. This is our first official and comprehensive forum for expansive discussion on the progress of the NWFL and women’s football generally. This is why we are gathered here this evening to have our Congress in this cozy atmosphere. I am most delighted to welcome you all to the official decision making gathering of the NWFL. Some of us are just seeing each other for the first time in the New Year, so permit me to wish us all a Happy belated New Year.
I equally thank the Almighty God for His journey mercies as members traveled to Lagos from their respective destinations across the country for this all-important Congress. I am very happy to see you all looking very radiant and beautiful.
Usually, Congress affords an association the rare opportunity to review and preview its activities for the year towards making it better than what it was in the previous year or season as the case may be.
The Congress is supreme in virtually all associations and its decisions are crucial to the development of the body. I have no doubt that our decisions in this Congress will go a long way to cement a great future for our most cherished product - the Nigerian Women Football League.
The activities of the 2017 season were rounded off with the successful hosting of the Nigeria Women Premier League (NWPL) Super 4 Championship in Benin City, Edo state, sponsored by the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the Aiteo Women Federation Cup sponsored by Aiteo through our parent body, the Nigeria Football Federation, and later at the all-inclusive Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Jos, Plateau state. The events and its fallouts are well documented, internalized and understood by everyone.
One can say with hinge of foresight that the programme to herald the new season is almost seamlessly running with the Mentoring of one thousand young girls at the Government College Agege, Lagos, on Friday, March 2, 2018. This will dove tail into the celebration of women’s football by the NWFL Champions Shield scheduled to hold on Sunday, March 4 between the League champions, Nasarawa Amazons and Aiteo Cup winners, Rivers Angels at the ‘Soccer Temple’, Agege Stadium in Lagos. This is another milestone achievement of the NWFL with the event fully sponsored by the sports-loving Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, our second straight sponsorship from two state governors. It will interest you that the sponsorship of the Champions Shield was cemented at the final of the Super Four in Benin City and today it is a reality.
The public awareness which has followed the Akinwunmi Ambode sponsored Champions Shield has been so massive, overwhelming and encouraging. This is a great achievement for the board of the Nigeria Women Football League. The tide is surely swinging in our favour at the moment to keep faith to our doggedness and to keep digging deep to further take the women’s league to greater heights. We have continued to appeal to the president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick and the First Vice president Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, who have been listening to us towards getting a sustained sponsorship for the NWPF. We have asked them to continually make the NWFL an appendage when they are out there marketing the Nigerian football premium brand, the Super Eagles. We know for sure that very soon our prayers will be answered on the issue of sponsorship. The dearth of sponsorship for the league will be a thing of the past.
The NWFL board has painstakingly polished the league and it’s at the moment well received by Nigerian football lovers. We can only remain consistent and prayerful that the efforts will yield the desired results and be crystallized with rewarding sponsorships.
Work to be done is much and I have no doubt in my mind, that, we are capable, courtesy of our dedicated stakeholders who together we shall join our hands in solidarity, togetherness and hardwork to ensure the work in progress becomes a monumental achievement.
I will not want to pre-empt the Congress over its likely deliberations and decisions but suffices to say we are more than able to conquer whatever challenges that may lay on our path in this onerous task to make our league the very best in the world.
I wish the Congress men and women the most fruitful, rewarding and successful deliberations.
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