By: Chinedum Ohanusi
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has commended the National Association for Women in Sports (NAWIS), for the sterling role the umbrella body for active and former sportswomen, have played in the chequered history of sports, in Nigeria.
Director General of the NSC, Hon. Oluwabukola Olopade gave the thumbs up, while receiving the leadership of NAWIS, who paid him a courtesy visit, in his office, on Thursday.
Responding to the brief but incisive speech made by the President of NAWIS, Professor Mariam Suleiman of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Chief Olapade instantly granted a request to have NAWIS reinstated as a member of the Board of the Sports Commission.
Chief Olopade went on to say the value NAWIS representation in all the Sports Federations, and the excellent podium performances by Team Nigeria’s female athletes; are huge, compelling, and should never be undermined.
“Growing up, the people I use to watch on TV were Modupe Oshokoya, Falilat Ogunkoya, Mary Onyali, and Bose Kafo [that’s later], she was an amazing Table Tennis player and I loved watching her a lot. On the back of the glory brought to the country, NAWIS without doubt should deserve a national award, yearly. The value your members bring to the table of Sports Federations, every time is always huge. So without doubt this is a body that’s essential for sports growth; and that makes it easy for me to consider your one request of reinstating you on the Board of the NSC”, Olapade assured.
Earlier, the NAWIS president recounted that the association founded in 1990, is a member of Africa Women in Sports (AWISA), and the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) and has had its members on the boards of the various sports federations, except football.
According to her, the role of NAWIS in mentoring and caring for Girls, and women; at the Grassroots and at the elite level; calls for the massive support of government, the buy-in of the nation’s sporting authorities; and corporate Nigeria.
Also at the visit, were the founder of NAWIS, and President of NAPHER-SD, Prof Emeritus Florence Bola Adeyanju; 1st VP of NAWIS Nkechi Ezeugwu, other Exco members of NAWIS, and Dr. Alhassan Yakmut, the DG of the NSC, as at when it was scrapped in 2015.
