VENTURES AFRICA – A few weeks ago, the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup was concluded and Nigeria’s contingent departed Canada with silver medals. They may not have won the title itself but the exploits of the girls have thrown down a
gauntlet to football administrators in Nigeria. Their precious silver medal is sufficient proof that the potential of female football in Nigeria is immense and also, in need of extensive development and funding. Romping to big margin victories through the tournament, the girls showed that in a few years they could conquer the world and help Nigeria win a first ever women World Cup title however, for this to have the slimmest percentages of possibility, there is urgent need for decision makers to get to work.
The plight of female football in Nigeria- and across Africa- leaves a lot to be desired as it is consistently in the shadow of male football. While it s understandable that male football probably enjoys a bigger audience, it is odious that in some cases female football is altogether ignored. Against the back-drop of the just concluded FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, female football and sports in general in Africa could clearly do with more attention, planning and investment.
In the long term, igniting female sports development in the continent could well bear immense fruits as the opportunities for revenue generation are significant but even before itemizing the possible financial upsides, it ought to be said that along with a United Nations 2007 report on gender equality across all spheres, including sports, development and investment in female sport ought not to be pursued only for economic reasons but for the purpose to creating alternative societal norms and attitudes.
In seeking to develop and invest in female sports, national governments and their sports ministries will be opening the window to providing many of Africa’s young girls with a future they had previously not imagined. Many of Nigeria’s talented female footballers may be able earn a comfortable living if female football is better regulated and the global boom in sports means that female footballers can rake in impressive salaries abroad while the unique possibility of corporate relationships and endorsements also ensures that their potential brand value can be leveraged and monetized if need be.
However, asides from earning potential in personal capacity, investment in female sports can open the door to employment opportunities for other women in areas such as coaching, broadcasting, officiating, administration and sports marketing. Interestingly, not all of these possible employment opportunities that could emerge for women require a sports background. As well as unlocking immense potential, Nigeria and Africa could also be inadvertently tackling what appears to be a major employment issue which sees six African countries in a list of the world’s top ten countries with the highest unemployment rates. Statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics also revealed that 54 per cent of Nigerian youths were unemployed in 2012; females stood at 51.9 percent while 48.1 percent are men.
Developing, improving and maintaining female leagues for football that can draw public interest and possibly become key broadcast assets in the long-term will be a primary assignment as will setting up and funding talent centers to identify, nurture and grow bright young female footballers. The good news for sports ministries in Nigeria and across Africa though, is that there might already be a model to follow. Australia’s football governing body, FFA, led by David Gallop have recently published a work-plan for the strategic development of female football in the country. While this model is obviously wholly based on the specific make-up of the Australian football scene, the key focus on grass-root development, increasing fan bases, enhancing the quality and format of the local female league and seeking to strengthen corporate partnerships are all similar to the goals which many African nations will be seeking to achieve.
On the strength of the growth of female football in Nigeria, it clearly deserves more attention.Of the 10 African Women Football Championships, the Nigerian female football team, the Super Falcons, have won an astonishing eight editions and in the last three U20 Women’s FIFA World Cup, Nigeria’s Super Falconets have played in two finals and one semi-final. The facts, like they say, speak for themselves.
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