Aisha Buhari Cup Gets N50m Support from Sports Ministry

The six-nation invitational Aisha Buhari Cup Tournament scheduled to hold in Lagos between September 13 and 21 in Lagos has received a N50million support from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

Speaking when members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the tournament paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja yesterday, Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare announced the financial support N50million for the competition and further promised to get other well meaning Nigerians to do same for the tournament.

He said that the Aisha Buhari Cup, an international women’s football invitational tournament has the potentials to boost the development of women’s football and unite the nation.

The Minister commended the LOC for the work done so far and the efforts made to host a successful competition inspite of the challenges.

“I knew you started all these with little or no funds,” Dare remarked.

“But seeing how much progress you have made and positive strides you have taken show to me that you are miracle workers. I have read a lot about what you have done even when I was at the Olympics,” stressed the minister.

Dare further assured the LOC that all necessary support will be given to make the competition a huge success because it will unite the nation and encourage more interest and participation in the women’s game.

“When the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) President Amaju Pinnick told me of the plans to stage the competition, the first question I asked him was if he had enough time to see it through. He said yes and I promised to lend him my support 100 percent. I’m glad that the event is now a reality. The competition will not only excite and inspire our people, it will also unite us.

“Whatever will unite people has the full support of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, so my support is total especially since it has to do with women’s football. FIFA is unapologetic about the development of the women’s game. The competition is going to attract more women to take to football.”

In his remarks, Chairman of the LOC, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi thanked the Minister for his support in getting the Presidential Task Force(PTF) on Covid-19 to grant permission to have the event staged in Nigeria.

He said the importance of the competition is underscored by the interest shown in it by six of the top women football playing nations in Africa namely Ghana, Morocco, Cameroon, South Africa, Mali, Cote’d Ivoire and hosts Nigeria.

He appealed to the Minister to assist in fast tracking entry visas for the participating teams.