“I Will Do Whatever I Can to Help Women’s Football Grow” — Rivers Commissioner Green

Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Barrister Chris Green, has pledged his total commitment to the growth of women’s football in Nigeria, urging the media to focus on positive coverage that motivates players and unites stakeholders.

Delivering his goodwill message during the NWFL Annual General Meeting in Port Harcourt in Wednesday, Green expressed pride in the strides made by Nigerian female footballers, especially the Super Falcons, describing their efforts as vital to Nigeria’s global football reputation.

“I want to say with what our girls are doing in football, honestly speaking, they are really giving us a better place in the comity of football Nations in the world especially the Super Falcons. What you guys have to do is to build on it. Forget what happened to the U-17 girls. It’s only developmental,” Green said.

He recounted his long involvement in football development, referencing his past tenure at the Nigeria Football Federation and his subsequent mandate to replicate similar achievements in Rivers State.

“When I was in the NFF, Aisha was aware of that, we won the U-17 World Cup male back to back. I was appointed the Commissioner of Sports given the mandate to replicate what I achieved at NFF in Rivers State. This is exactly what we have done in Rivers State. As soon as I came here, Rivers United won the Premier League.”

Beyond his local achievements, Green emphasized his broader commitment to national football issues — from developing women’s football to ensuring quality refereeing and sports governance.

“We are going to AFCON, how many Nigerian referees are going there?

I will do whatever I can to help women’s football grow in Nigeria.”

He concluded his address with an appeal to the press to promote positive narratives about Nigerian football and to encourage athletes and teams through constructive reporting.

“Gentlemen of the press. You are my friend. Let’s write everything positive about football in Nigeria. Let’s write to motivate and promote them. I declare the Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Women Football League open.”

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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