In a historic move aimed at promoting women’s empowerment through sports, Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has approved the establishment of a state-owned female professional football team.

 

The announcement was made by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports Development, Hon. Pius Nwankwo, while briefing journalists at the Government House in Abakaliki.

 

According to Hon. Nwankwo, the team will be officially known and addressed as Salt Queens Football Club. The name has received the endorsement of the Ebonyi State First Lady, Chief Mrs. Mary Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, as part of efforts to champion women’s participation in sports and empower talented female athletes across the state.

 

“This development is a direct response to the persistent appeals by football fans across Ebonyi, who have been calling on His Excellency to replicate the success of the male team, Abakaliki FC, with a female counterpart,” Nwankwo said. “The Governor has once again demonstrated his commitment to the People’s Charter of Needs by listening to the voices of the people and acting on their demands.”

 

He further revealed that preparations are in top gear for the official unveiling of Salt Queens FC, who are expected to participate in the upcoming season of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL).

 

The initiative is expected to further complement the work of the First Lady’s pet project, the Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Displaced Persons Foundation (BERWO), by providing young women and girls across the state with platforms for both empowerment and self-development.

 

“The team will serve not only as a sporting institution but as a vehicle for positive social change. Ebonyi has a wealth of untapped female football talent, and this club will provide a professional platform to nurture and showcase that talent—locally and internationally,” Hon. Nwankwo added.

 

Salt Queens FC will serve as a feeder for the national female teams such as the Super Falcons, who recently made headlines after defeating Morocco to win the African Women’s Nations Cup for a record tenth time. Hon. Nwankwo cited the example of neighboring Imo State, which produced five players in that winning squad, as a testimony to what investment in female football development can achieve.

 

The launch of Salt Queens FC marks a significant milestone in Governor Nwifuru’s sports development agenda and signals a new era of inclusiveness and opportunity in Ebonyi State’s sporting landscape.