In commemoration of International Women’s Day 2023, the minister of youth and sports development, Mr Sunday Dare, has applauded Fame Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, for promoting gender equality through sports.
Dare gave the commendation at the opening ceremony of the annual women’s football tournament on Wednesday in Abuja, in commemoration of 2023 International Women’s Day.
He said he has watched closely the activities of Fame Foundation in the last five and he is glad to note it is yielding positive results.
“I have watched very closely their efforts in the last five years and I’m glad that is paying off. You could see from the teams here, the diplomatic community, the enthusiasm on display and the entire ceremony speaks to the fact that fame has got it right.
“I want to encourage them and also call on other NGOs and others who are doing this because the more the merrier. We need more foundations like Fame to be in the vanguard of championing the cause of the woman and I think that is important.
“You must pay attention to the women and I think that they are getting a better share, looks, and opportunities, and the doors are opening for them,” Dare said.
Speaking to Journalists on the sideline of the event, the executive director of Fame Foundation, Aderonke Bello, urged the incoming administration to ensure equity and equality.
“We have been asking for equality for so long, especially in the area of welfare for all the athletes, cutting across all the sports in Nigeria because as of today, female athletes don’t get the support their male counterparts get.
“The new administration and the new sports minister whoever is coming onboard should work together with the relevant federations to ensure the equity, equality, and welfare of female athletes are top notch,” Bello warned.
She noted that Nigeria is heterogeneous and the only thing that brings the citizens together is sports. “This is why the Fame foundation thinks that sport is one of the tools that can unify us and at the same time for development.”
