Globally, sport is one of the most powerful and recognised tools to promote peace, unity, tolerance and understanding, bringing diverse people together across boundaries, cultures and religions.

Sporting activities also promote teamwork, fairness, discipline and respect.

But, for the women in northeastern Nigeria, sporting activities – largely because of culture and religion – are a no-go area and girls and women are strongly discouraged to take part in any such pursuits, even though it is good for their health, keeping them fit and agile.

RNI questioned why women’s sporting activities – especially female football – were regarded as worthless in the northeast of the country, while men’s sporting pursuits were held in high esteem.

Adam Ali Adam, a football fan, said: “I like to watch male football matches and competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League, Spanish league [La Liga], Nigeria Professional Football League, Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] and the [English] Premier League, among others. But to be honest, I don’t watch any female football matches because, for me, it’s not as interesting or competitive as male football.

“I sometimes look at some of the scores of female football matches while scrolling on my phone. I even heard that there is a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations that’s going on in which Nigeria’s female national team was kicked out. I didn’t even know about the competition, simply because I never sit down and watch the female football games. But, if it’s the Super Eagles, the men’s national team, who are playing I will watch it either on television or via my phone.”

A coach, Innocent Adamu Michael, and an avid football fan, said: “The reason most people watch male football games is because they display a lot of skill, smartness, physicality and confidence, which entertains viewers and adds to their enthusiasm. I think spectators do not find female football as interesting or entertaining.

“Another reason people don’t watch female sports is because not many women in Borno State and, in fact, the whole of northeastern Nigeria, take part in sporting activities. It goes against their culture and religion. Islam is the dominant religion in this region and 80% of the people living in the north are Muslims. Women are not really encouraged by the government or other groups to take part in sport.”

Michael said there was little to no public awareness of women’s sporting activities, adding that media organisations in the north did not really cover female sport.

“If media outlets would produce programmes that would educate and enlighten the public on the importance of sports as a tool for peace-building, unity and social cohesion, I think more parents and guardians – and society as a whole – would acknowledge and accept girls and women taking part in sporting activities.”

If individuals could consolidate the government’s efforts by encouraging female participation in sports, then there would be greater development and the “sky would be the limit for women in sport”, he said.

Esther Obode Francis, a former handball player, told RNI that apart from culture and religion, the insurgency in the northeast had contributed to the challenges that women face by participating in sports. Women and girls still feared that they might be attacked and abducted, like the Chibok girls.

“I’m a former handball player and I played for the Borno State team when I was 12 years old. Initially, I started playing handball at the Shehu Sanda Kyarimi II Primary School in

Maiduguri. I continued to play handball and that was when the Borno State government allowed some of us to be admitted to the Yerwa Government Girls Secondary School. I continued to play handball and I was a member of the state’s handball team. When I retired from playing handball I began working as secretary at the Borno State sports council.

“These days some parents don’t encourage or allow their female children to take part in sports because they believe female athletes might engage in unspeakable things that would affect their integrity and home training, especially if they travelled out of the region to take part in competitions in other places.”

Francis said parents should understand that there are a lot of benefits and opportunities attached to participating in sports. Normally, sponsored sporting activities started in primary school and continued in secondary school.

“There are interschool competitions. The best players are selected and sometimes they have to travel to take part in these competitions. For example, I travelled to far places; I went to Italy, Denmark and Portugal to take part in competitions. It was fascinating to go to these places because I learnt so much about their respective cultures and traditions.

“Taking part in sporting activities can bring about peace and unity as it enables athletes to interact with different people who have different faiths and cultural backgrounds. I believe that parents and the government should collaborate with the sports council to encourage young people – males and females – who are interested in sporting activities to train as athletes in various sports, such as football, handball and basketball, among others. This will help to reduce unemployment and poverty and discourage young people from becoming involved with criminals. Many of these youngsters are poor and have too much time on their hands. They are easily lured by criminals.”

She said sporting activities were vital in terms of health because they kept the body fit and agile.

“Apart from culture and religion, the insurgency, which has lasted for almost 13 years in the northeast, has also contributed to the challenges faced by girls and women in sport. Parents and guardians are worried that if their female children travel on buses to take part in tournaments far away, they might be attacked and kidnapped on the road, just like the Chibok Government Secondary School for Girls, 276 of whom were abducted by insurgents in 2014. This also discourages the girls themselves from taking part in any sports, particularly if it would mean travelling to far-off places for competitions.”

Francis said that years ago Borno State had strong female teams, who played football, volleyball, basketball and hockey. “We were formidable and we performed well wherever we went. But that has changed. Our women athletes are few and far between now. I am the only woman on the sports council.”

She said she would like the Borno State government to help the sports council by employing women athletes. “Sport is a place of love and unity, regardless of whether you are Muslim or Christian. If the government encouraged all women to take part in the sporting activities they love, it would bring about strong unity among the women in the state, just as we have seen in other states of the federation, especially in the Edo and Delta states where female athletes are empowered and motivated and even given allowances so that they can continue playing the sports they love.”

Mai Kudi Isa, a former coach of Borno State’s female football team, told RNI that there was no longer a female football team in northern Nigeria because of cultural and religious beliefs.

“I coach both male and female football players in Borno. So, if we are talking about women in sport, especially football, I can tell you that there are a lot of issues and constraints affecting the growth and development of female football because of cultural and religious beliefs. This is why we have been left behind in terms of women’s football compared with the southern parts of the country.

“If you look at Nigeria’s women national team, you will find that most of the players are from the south, because here in the north, our culture and religion does not allow women to wear a shorts, as men do, to play football. In Borno particularly, where Islam is dominant and Muslims are the majority, it’s very difficult for us to build a women football team from scratch.

“However,” he said, “during the military regime we successfully built a very strong women’s football team. I was the coach at that time and women’s participation in sports, especially football, was huge. We recorded many feats and achievements. We witnessed a lot of progress and development because of our strong female football team. But now it’s impossible to build or develop a female football team because we are a democracy. During military rule, we could pick female athletes who performed well in interschool competitions and build a solid team with them.

“Now everything has changed. We don’t have a female football team in Borno State, in fact, as I’m speaking to you now, there are no women football teams in most of the northern states. If you do see a female football team in the north, you will find that most of players are from the southern parts of the country.”

Isa said there were major challenges in women’s sporting activities in the north. If women were allowed to participate in sports, there would be a lot of opportunities awaiting them. Sports created peace, unity and affection among people, irrespective of their cultures, religions, locations or tribes.

“Sport is also an important tool in addressing the issues of poverty and unemployment among the teeming youth. It would also help to curb the menace of evil crimes, such as gangsterism, theft, rape and other social vices.”

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO