27th July, 2017
A female Professor of Sports Administration, Florence Oyebola-Adeyanju, on Thursday called on the Federal Government to consider appointing a female minister of sports in line with the country’s gender equality policy.
Oyebola-Adeyanju, who is of the Department Physical and Health Education, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, made the call in an interactive session with journalists in Zaria.
The professor spoke with journalists shortly after she delivered the university’s inaugural lecture.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inaugural lecture was entitled: “Physical Education, Sports and Gender Beyond the Muscles”.
The don expressed regret that no woman had overseen the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, out the 33 ministers that had been appointed by successive administrations.
She said: “I analysed the status of female athletes in this country and realised that they perform excellently well in comparison to their male counterparts.
“ I also know that affairs of sports in this nation have been governed by the male; 33 sports ministers have been appointed so far, but there is no female among them.
“Female athletes are at the forefront; if you look at Olympic Games, Common Wealth Games, All Africa Games, among others, Nigerian female athletes have been performing exceedingly well.”
She also expressed dissatisfaction that no woman was appointed or elected the head of any of the 40 sports federations in the ministry.
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“No man can claim to know the problem of women more than women themselves; if women are progressing with the little encouragement, I believe they will perform better if a minister is appointed from among them,” she said.
In her inaugural lecture, Oyebola-Adeyonju advocated equal opportunities for boys and girls in participation in sports at all levels.
She said: “There should be gender equity in involvement in physical activity at all levels, either in leadership, reward, media coverage and every other thing.”
In his remarks, the ABU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, described inaugural lectures as high academic presentations in universities.
Garba, who was represented by his deputy (Academics), Prof. Ezra Bako-Amans, described Oyebola-Adeyonju’s lecture as well articulated and educative.
He gave the assurance that the university would not relent in sustaining its inaugural lecture series.
Garba urged lecturers to brace up to the challenge of delivering the lecture.