The Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aisha Falode, will on April 18, 2023, declare open the Ekiti Football Association Women’s Football Symposium in Ado Ekiti as the State FA makes a bold step towards creating awareness and a sustainable guide for Women’s Football in the state.
The event which is the first of its kind since the creation of the state in 1996 will bring together women that are experts in public administration as well as sports.
In her response to the FA’s letter of invitation, Mrs. Falode stated: “Thank you for the good job, with the giant steps you are taking to reposition the growth and development of football in Ekiti, I am very confident that your new venture in women’s football in the state will in no time witness another professional transformation. I hereby cheerfully accept to virtually declare the event opened on April 18 2023”
The Ekiti FA award- winning Chairman, Bayo Olanlege, said Thursday morning that, the Ekiti Women’s Football Symposium is aimed at getting things right when it comes to the gender game.
“You can be doing something for ages, but if you don’t get it right, it’s just a waste of time.
“Today, we have a team in the Nigeria Women’s Football League Championship, and it’s important we get things right.
“The women football Symposium is aimed at popularising women’s football in Ekiti state. Majority of the sports in Ekiti is always about the men, but with the Ekiti Queens, we want something different. So, for the Women’s Football Symposium, we shall be bringing in women sports experts from all the local sports councils of Ekiti to be part of the programme. This is part of the Ekiti State FA programme to popularise Women’s football in the state.
“We are taking a cue from what FIFA is doing right now, giving more prominence to Women’s football all over the world.
So, right now, we are taking advantage of the situation at the international football scene when nothing serious is happening across the world, to stage this syposium. Even in Ekiti state, there is no serious sports or football events going on at the moment, so the date of the Women’s Football Symposium was carefully picked to enable it get desired popularity. The sole aim of the Ekiti State Women’s Football Symposium is get a paradigm change for Women’s Football in Ekiti. That is why we are involving Women’s football experts like Aisha Falode in the Symposium,”Ekiti FA Chairman, Bayo Olanlege said.
Others expected at the event are; Mrs. Peju Babafemi, the former Ekiti State Head of Service and Patroness of the Ekiti State FA, who expectedly is the Chief Host at the event and Mrs. Tola Faseluka, the Permanent Secretary, of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development who is the event’s Host.
Also, Sports For Development enthusiast, Gender Rights advocate and Executive Director, FAME Foundation, Arabinrin Aderonke Bello, and the Spokesperson of the Super Falcons / Principal Editor of tobexmedia.com., Tobe-Chukwu Oluchi will be the guest speakers at the event.
/Dapo/Press release
