As a way of using football as a tool in bringing out the potential of the girl child and enlightening her on the dangers of irregular migration, the International Organization for Migration in collaboration with Laliga and Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL) organised a novelty football tournament between Nigerian Women Football League and female returnees.

The initiative was also aimed at raising awareness on migration challenges, addressing trafficking in persons through football and also promoting gender equality through football.

Speaking as a member of panel of discussants at the event which was held at the indoor complex of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin on Saturday, wife of Edo State governor, Mrs. Besty Obaseki, while thanking initiators of the event, emphasized the need to educate and enlighten young girls on what they can do with their lives particularly when they toe the path of football.

While speaking on how the Edo State government takes gender-based violence seriously, Mrs. Obaseki said machineries have been put in place across the 18 local government areas to pursue any reported case to a reasonable conclusion..

On his part, deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, said the programme came at the right time because Edo is redefining how sport management should be in the country.

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He said the state government takes a special recognition and focuse much on the young girls so as to promoting their potential, adding that to move against gender discrimination, players of Edo Queens Football Club earn same amount as Insurance Football Club, both owned by the state government.

A cross section of participants at the event.

Also speaking as a panelist, Cyprine Cheptepkeny, IOM awareness Raising Officer, said the organization discovered that football can be used as a tool in enlightening and sensitising young girls on dangers of irregular migration hence the tournament.

She noted that over the years, IOM has observed that some of the returnees are good at playing football and can even play outside the country if such potential is fully put into use.

While noting that the programme was also aimed at looking at how football can be used to address gender equality and gender based violence, Cheptepkeny added: “Nigeria is the biggest in Africa as regards football, so we are looking at football as a tool that can be used to sensitise and educate our young girls as regards issues of irregular migration and promoting safe and legal migration.

“Not only that, we are also looking at how we can use football and this platform to discuss issues of gender equality and gender-based violence.

Also contributing to the discussion, Aisha Falode, President of Nigeria Women Football League, urged young girls to be hardworking and focused, adding that “there is dignity in hardwork; there is reward in hard labour; there is no shortcut to success.”

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Laliga ambassador, Mr. Mutiu Adepoju, an ex-Super Eagles player urged young girls to be disciplined and work hard, adding that if they use discipline as their watchword and work hard, it will pay them in the long run.

The novelty football match between female returnees and Nigeria Women Football League ended in a goalless draw.

Mutiu Adepoju, ex-Super Eagles player and his female counterpart, Anair Lomba Alvarez, both Laliga ambassadors were at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin to witness the novelty match.

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