Bako commends Tinubu, calls for women's football inclusion at Grassroots Sports Summit
Football administrator and women’s football advocate, Moses Nagogo Bako, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for endorsing the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit, describing the initiative as a timely intervention capable of transforming Nigeria’s sporting landscape.
Bako also applauded the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, for championing the summit and promoting a renewed national conversation on sustainable grassroots sports development.
The summit, themed “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” is expected to bring together key stakeholders to examine practical ways of identifying, developing and nurturing sporting talents across the country.
Bako said the initiative demonstrates the Presidency’s recognition that Nigeria’s sporting future must be built from the grassroots.
He, however, called on Hon. Adeboye and the summit organisers to ensure that women’s football stakeholders are adequately represented in the national conversation.
According to him, Nigeria has enormous untapped female football talent at the community, school and academy levels, but the absence of a properly structured development pathway remains a major challenge.
“I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving this initiative the necessary backing. I also commend Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye for driving this important conversation.
“I respectfully appeal to him to reach out to women’s football stakeholders and give us the opportunity to contribute to the summit. We have practical ideas that can help build a sustainable pathway for the development of girls’ football in Nigeria.”
Bako proposed the development of “A National Grassroots Women’s Football Development Pathway: From Local Government to NWFL.”
He explained that the framework should create a structured progression for talented girls from local government areas, schools, academies and community clubs, through state competitions and organised leagues, to the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) and ultimately the national teams.
He said the proposal should also address grassroots competitions, infrastructure, coaching, scouting, player welfare, funding and private-sector investment.
“This is bigger than football,” Bako said. “It is about youth development, empowerment, employment and creating opportunities for thousands of Nigerian girls.”
He urged women’s football stakeholders across the country to unite behind the initiative and support the Federal Government’s efforts to establish a sustainable grassroots sports system.
“The future of Nigerian women’s football is in the girls playing today in our communities. We must build the bridge that takes them from the local government level to the NWFL and the global stage.”
Join the Savid News channel on WhatsApp:
