NCWS PARTICIPATES IN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT ORGANIZED BY FAME FOUNDATION

The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Nigeria, participated in the annual women’s football tournament organized by FAME Foundation on 6th March 2026 to commemorate the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration.
The tournament, which is held annually, aims to encourage women and girls to actively participate in sports, particularly football. The competition provides a platform for women from different organizations to engage in recreational football in a friendly and inclusive environment, with participation limited to non-professional players.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim fsi, the NYSC Coordinator, and representatives of participating organizations such as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRS), International Displaced Persons (IDP) representatives, FIDA, and other partner organizations.
Representing NCWS at the tournament were the National President, Princess Edna D. D. Azura, alongside members of staff and affiliates including Mrs. Nnenna Emedolibe, Mrs. Aliu Bimbola, Comfort Samuel Chama, Kaeto Onuigbo, Agbo Naomi and an affiliate member, Hajiya Aishat Hudu.
NCWS Nigeria has consistently participated in the competition over the years and has previously won the tournament twice. In this year’s edition, the NCWS team started strongly by defeating the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) team with a 1–0 victory, thereby progressing to the quarter-final stage of the competition.
However, during the course of the tournament, the NCWS team observed that some teams, particularly that of the host organization, included professional football players, which is against the established rules and spirit of the competition. The guidelines of the tournament clearly state that the competition is meant for non-professional players in order to promote inclusivity and encourage wider participation among women.
Following this observation, NCWS raised concerns regarding the presence of professional players in some teams and the perceived lack of fairness in the conduct of the tournament. It was also observed that the technical officiating appeared to favour the host organization, thereby undermining the principles of fair play.
In view of these developments, and in order to uphold the integrity of the competition and the spirit of sportsmanship, the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Nigeria took the difficult decision to withdraw from the tournament.
Despite this development, NCWS reaffirmed its commitment to promoting women’s participation in sports and recreational activities that empower women, encourage unity, and foster healthy competition in a fair and transparent environment.
The Council further expressed hope that future editions of the tournament will strictly adhere to its guiding rules to ensure fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity for all participating teams.
Princess Edna D. D. Azura (Kwatam Mutaku)
National President
National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Nigeria