By Fakande Oluwamayowa
Former Nigerian football star Segun Odegbami says recent sporting triumphs by the country’s female athletes prove that Nigerian women are on the path to global dominance.
Writing from what he called his “sports prism,” Odegbami noted that sports connect to every aspect of life from health, science, and governance to culture, tourism, and even music.
He compared his outlook to that of filmmaker Tunde Kelani, who views life through a camera lens.
Odegbami reflected on the long-standing cultural and religious restrictions that have limited Nigerian women’s participation in certain activities, especially sports.
He dismissed outdated beliefs that sports undermine women’s femininity, beauty, or ability to bear children.
He celebrated the recent victories of Nigeria’s Super Falcons, who shone at the Women’s World Cup, and D’Tigress, who won their fifth consecutive Afrobasketball Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
According to him, these achievements often treated as routine in the past have now become powerful reminders of the potential and importance of women in Nigerian sports and society.
Odegbami praised the government for recognising the significance of these victories with unprecedented rewards for the athletes, saying it sets a new benchmark for appreciating Nigerians who excel in their fields.
“A benchmark has been set,” he said. “It cannot suffer reversal anymore.”
