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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Team FAME, the host organisation, made history by clinching the top spot in the ninth edition of the FAME Foundation International Women’s Day Football Tournament, held Friday at the Area 3 Mini Pitch in Garki, Abuja.
This marked their first win since the competition’s inception, capping a day that blended athletic competition with calls for women’s empowerment across Nigeria.
In a thrilling finale, Team FAME triumphed over runners-up Team FIDA and the 2025 winners, whose “teamwork and determination made them shine on the pitch,” as organisers noted. Team UNITY secured bronze with a resilient penalty shootout victory over Team NRS.
The event drew 13 teams, including FIDA, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), and IDP FC, fostering participation, teamwork, and celebration in line with International Women’s Day themes.
The tournament doubled as a platform for advocacy, with high-profile speakers urging action on gender equality.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, which kicked off the tourney, while speaking to journalists reinforced government commitment. “Mr. President has made issues surrounding women central and not an afterthought. This is unprecedented. We must thank him, and we must applaud him,” she said, pledging collaboration with NGOs like FAME. She highlighted President Tinubu’s declaration of 2026 as the year for family and social development.
She added: “I will like to also use this opportunity to sufficiently appreciate Mr. President because the gender space, the women and gender have never seen this type, even the level of domestic investment, prioritisation. Nigerian women are happy.
“We have aligned with the President’s agenda for women and for children. Mr. President a couple of weeks ago declared 2026 a year for family and social development. This is a big one for Nigeria. It means we are taking the issue of development from the home front”.
Director-General of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC),
Rinsola Abiola, on her part: “There are many other ways to empower women—through education, through finance, through gender-responsive budgeting, through empowerment grants and loans for our women.”
She emphasised legal protections, mentorship, and capacity building, adding, “It’s also very key that our women are prioritised… to encourage our women to take more active roles in building our society and building our nation.”
Abiola praised the event’s energy: “It’s very beautiful to see our women being active. It’s very key to be active instead of being healthy.” She commended FAME Foundation, led by Executive Director, Aderonke Atoyebi, for uniting stakeholders.
Atoyebi stressed NGOs’ role in accountability: “NGOs and CSOs cannot do anything without the government. We are there to put them on their toes, and we are there to collaborate with them… To bring the Minister here today is to make a policy statement, and you can hear what she said: ‘It is Women O’clock.’” She described the tournament as a friendly space promoting gender equality and women in sports.
