Omidiran demands sustained investment in women's football amidst Flamingos' World Cup triumph

Spread the word The Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Honorable Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, has congratulated Nigeria's Flamingos on their historic triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the country and a testament to the talent and determination of Nigerian girls. Omidiran, a former member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Board and a long-standing advocate of women's football, praised the players, technical crew, NFF and other stakeholders for their contributions.

She also commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her continued advocacy for women's empowerment and the development of girls acknowledged the leadership of the National Sports Commission (NSC) in the development of Nigerian sports. "I warmly congratulate our Flamingos on this historic achievement.

They have made Nigeria proud and demonstrated once again that our young girls possess the talent, character and determination to excel on the world stage. Their success belongs not only to the team but to every Nigerian who believes in the potential of our young people," Omidiran said.

The former Member of the FIFA Women's Football Committee and Founder of Girls Play Sports Initiative, said the achievement should go beyond celebrations and serve as a turning point for the development of women's football in Nigeria, stressing that the country must build on the team's success by creating opportunities for more girls to discover, develop and pursue their football ambitions. "We must not wait for another generation of Flamingos to emerge by chance.

We need a deliberate system that identifies these talents early, develops them properly, protects them and provides a clear pathway from grassroots football to the Flamingos, Falconets and ultimately the Super Falcons," she said. Omidiran called for a deliberate and well-funded national plan that prioritises grassroots scouting, school competitions, youth development, coaching, player welfare, sports science and infrastructure, while creating a clear pathway for young talents to progress to the senior national team.

"Investment in women's football must go beyond preparing national teams for tournaments. We must invest in the ecosystem that produces the players.

A strong domestic league, quality youth competitions, competent coaches, functional academies and regular competitive football are essential if we want our success at the global level to become sustainable," she said. The two-time chairman of Nigeria Football Federation Women's Football Development Committee further stressed the need to strengthen the domestic women's league, support clubs and academies, improve playing facilities and expand grassroots programmes.

She said talented girls, regardless of their background or circumstances, must have the opportunity to develop their abilities and compete at the highest level. The FCC Executive Chairman also noted that the FIFA U-15 Women's World Cup, scheduled to begin in 2027, as another opportunity for Nigeria to invest in the next generation, urging the relevant football authorities and stakeholders to start preparations early rather than wait until the competition approaches.

"The introduction of the U-15 Women's World Cup gives us another opportunity to start even earlier. We should see this not simply as another FIFA competition, but as a platform to build the next generation of Nigerian footballers."