Moses Bako calls for urgent NWFL restructure and return of Nationwide league

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

An ardent supporter and stakeholder in women’s football, Moses Bako Nagogo, is passionately advocating for a comprehensive overhaul of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) as it prepares for the upcoming season.

With the NWFL set to announce the date and venue of its Annual General Assembly (AGA), where the 2024/2025 league season calendar will be unveiled, the future of the league remains uncertain. Last season, only two tiers were staged—the NWFL Premiership and Championship—leaving the third-tier Nationwide League in limbo.

“The truth is, the NWFL desperately needs a total restructure and a solid, actionable plan to guide its operations,” Bako told www.nigeriafootball.ng.

“The 2023/24 season was filled with drama that left many questioning the core objectives of the NWFL board. What exactly is the goal? What is the ‘why’ behind the decisions being made?”

Bako, a long-time advocate for women’s football, expressed concerns over the NWFL board’s handling of key issues, particularly the promotion process.

“One of the most controversial decisions was the promotion of two additional clubs at the AGA, which was presented as a way to create balance in the league—ensuring no team would have a bye. While this sounds like a good idea, the implementation was flawed,” he said. “A proper playoff should have been organized between the two relegated teams and the two proposed for promotion from the Championship to avoid unnecessary controversies.”

As a result, Remo Stars Ladies, Dannaz Ladies, Sunshine Queens, and Ekiti Queens were promoted to the top flight ahead of the 2023/24 season, with Sunshine Queens and Royal Queens ultimately relegated by the end of the campaign.

Bako also expressed dissatisfaction with the second-tier Championship, where a total of 19 teams jostled for promotion, including clubs from the now-defunct Nationwide League, a decision that he described as problematic.

“Speaking of the Championship, the automatic promotion of teams from the Nationwide League to the Championship exposed a glaring problem,” Bako stated.

“We witnessed a mockery of the Championship in Calabar, where mixing ‘babies with adults’ in competition was painfully evident.”

He believes that more focus should have been placed on enhancing the quality of the league and securing sponsorship. Instead, the Nationwide League was canceled, replaced by a largely invisible state league, which has seen little progress.

“Considering how far the Championship had come in the 2022/23 season, we should have been focusing on securing sponsorship and improving the quality of the league. A structured home-and-away format, even if limited to bi-weekly matches, could have gone a long way in raising the league’s profile,” Bako said.

He criticized the cancellation of the Nationwide League, which was an established structure, and described it as a “massive setback.” His proposal is simple: “Bring back the Nationwide League, expand it to accommodate more teams across four zones, and host a Super 8 with the top two teams from each zone.”

With the AGA date still pending and the CAF Women’s Champions League (CAFWCL) scheduled for November, Bako fears that the new season may not even commence until January.

“So I ask: Are we progressing, or are we regressing?” Bako concluded. “The NWFL needs to step up and give our women’s football the structure and professionalism it deserves.”

As discussions continue, stakeholders and fans alike will be watching closely to see whether the NWFL responds to Bako’s call for reform and takes meaningful steps to ensure the growth and sustainability of women’s football in Nigeria.