The Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, has congratulated Nigeria’s Flamingos on their historic triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the country and a reflection of the talent and determination of Nigerian girls.

Omidiran, a former member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Board and a long-standing advocate of women’s football, commended the players, technical crew, NFF and other stakeholders for their contributions to the historic success.

She also applauded First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her continued advocacy for women’s empowerment and the development of girls, while acknowledging the leadership of the National Sports Commission (NSC) in advancing Nigerian sports.

“I warmly congratulate our Flamingos on this historic achievement. They have made Nigeria proud and demonstrated once again that our young girls possess the talent, character and determination to excel on the world stage. Their success belongs not only to the team but to every Nigerian who believes in the potential of our young people,” Omidiran said.

The former member of the FIFA Women’s Football Committee and founder of the Girls Play Sports Initiative stressed that the achievement should go beyond celebrations and become a turning point for the development of women’s football in Nigeria.

She urged stakeholders to build on the team's success by creating opportunities for more girls to discover, develop and pursue their football ambitions.

“We must not wait for another generation of Flamingos to emerge by chance. We need a deliberate system that identifies these talents early, develops them properly, protects them and provides a clear pathway from grassroots football to the Flamingos, Falconets and ultimately the Super Falcons.”

Omidiran called for a deliberate and adequately funded national plan that prioritises grassroots scouting, school competitions, youth development, coaching, player welfare, sports science and infrastructure.

She emphasised that investment in women's football must extend beyond preparing national teams for international competitions to strengthening the structures responsible for producing and developing players.

“Investment in women’s football must go beyond preparing national teams for tournaments. We must invest in the ecosystem that produces the players. A strong domestic league, quality youth competitions, competent coaches, functional academies and regular competitive football are essential if we want our success at the global level to become sustainable.”

The two-time chairperson of the NFF Women’s Football Development Committee also called for stronger support for domestic clubs and academies, improved playing facilities and expanded grassroots programmes.

She maintained that talented girls, irrespective of their backgrounds or circumstances, should have equal opportunities to develop their abilities and compete at the highest level.

Omidiran further identified the FIFA U-15 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to begin in 2027, as another opportunity for Nigeria to invest in the next generation of female footballers.

She urged football authorities and other stakeholders to begin preparations early rather than wait until the competition approaches.

“The introduction of the U-15 Women’s World Cup gives us another opportunity to start even earlier. We should see this not simply as another FIFA competition, but as a platform to build the next generation of Nigerian footballers. Our girls should know that there is a pathway for them, and our football system must be ready to support that journey.

“Let this victory inspire thousands of girls watching from our schools, communities and football academies. The message is, you can dream, you can work for it and you can represent Nigeria on the biggest stage. Our responsibility as leaders and stakeholders is to ensure that the pathway is there for them,” she concluded.