By Solomon OKPO | August 14, 2025.
Calls are mounting for President Bola Tinubu to consider appointing a woman as Nigeria’s next Sports Minister, following the remarkable and sustained success of female athletes and teams on the global stage.
Sports analyst and commentator, Emeka Obasi, argues that Nigerian women have consistently outperformed their male counterparts, bringing home continental and world titles, while the men have delivered sporadic victories punctuated by long droughts.
From Chioma Ajunwa’s historic Olympic gold medal at Atlanta ’96 to Tobi Amusan’s world-record-breaking triumph at the 2022 IAAF World Championships, women have repeatedly broken barriers. The Super Falcons have lifted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) trophy 10 times without losing a final, in sharp contrast to the Super Eagles’ three African Cup of Nations (AFCON) wins from eight final appearances
Similarly, in basketball, the D’Tigress have become undisputed African champions, winning five consecutive FIBA Afrobasket titles between 2017 and 2025 and seven overall. They have also reached the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games, a feat yet to be matched by the men’s team, D’Tigers, who have only one continental title to their name.
Notable female sports stars such as Asisat Oshoala, Perpetua Nkwocha, Ezinne Kalu, and Amy Okonkwo have racked up individual awards and records unmatched by their male peers. Female members of Tinubu’s cabinet, including Doris Uzoka-Anite, Hanatu Musawa, Jumoke Oduwole, and Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, have also been visible supporters of national women’s teams both at home and abroad.
Obasi lamented the scrapping of the Sports Ministry, insisting that its restoration, under a female minister, would harness the “Midas touch” women have brought to Nigerian sports. “Given the record, it’s time to let a woman lead from the front,” he said.
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