NOC Women’s Commission Urges Greater Female Inclusion

The Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC Women Commission has called for the inclusion of more women in key positions in the country especially sports.

The chairperson of the NOC Women Commission, Professor Florence Adeyanju made the call yesterday in Abuja, during a walk-jog exercise organized in commemoration of the 2024 International Women’s Day with the theme “Inspire Inclusion”.

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Vice Chairperson Olubunmi Ola Oluode, representing Prof. Florence Adyanju, stated that the celebration aims to inspire women not only in sports but in all walks of life.

“If we look at this just concluded African Championship in Ghana, we see that the award and recognition they’re actually giving to women in sports participation, technical, coaching and all that is inspiring lots of women to be part of this and that is why today we have women from the military, we have women from the paramilitary, from the health, education, sports and all parts of life. We have women from the paramilitary, from the health, education, sports and all parts of life. My message for the day is that more women included will support the men and also for us to have the men for she.”

Secretary of the commission, Kemi Obidahunsi noted that the advocacy for women inclusion is far from the narrative of an unhealthy competition with their male counterparts.

“We are celebrating that the women are rising up to the task in the sporting industry. We are not saying competing with men. We are not saying rubbing shoulders with men. What we are saying is that where men are, women also can be there. And it doesn’t have to be competition. It’s not that my gender is a woman and so I have to be weak. That’s what we are saying, that we are not weak as women. We are strong. And sometimes we are even stronger than the men.”

Earlier, President of the Nigeria Olympic committee, Engr. Habu Gummel who declared the exercise open, outlined the importance of women in the Olympic movement and the society at large.

“In the International Olympic Committee we are trying as much as possible to do what is gender sensitive, gender balancing, so that whatever the man can do, a woman can be able to do. Likewise in the Nigerian Olympic Committee we are doing our best to make sure that we have a lot of women in our exco and in our board. And that is the reason.

It brings awareness, not only to the people that are here, but to the whole nation, to know that women are important and they should be involved in the sporting activities. They should be involved in the Olympic movement. They should be involved in the Olympic movement. It’s so important to us.”

Our correspondent Friday Joshua reports that over 100 women took part in the 5km walk-jog exercise which started from the Ministry of Finance headquarters through Shehu Shagari way and ended at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

NOC Women’s Commission Urges Greater Female Inclusion