Sports Commission, Olympic Committee Seek Greater Media Coverage for Female Athletes

Worried by the low level of media attention paid to female athletes, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) have urged sports journalists to eliminate gender stereotypes and give female athletes greater visibility in media coverage.
The call was made on Monday in Abuja at a two-day seminar organised by the NOC Women’s Commission in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity.
Habu Gumel, President of the NOC, said the media played a critical role in shaping public perceptions of women in sports.
“The media shapes narratives. What you write, say and show determines how the world perceives women in sports,” he said.
Gumel urged journalists to celebrate women’s achievements, highlight female athletes and promote balanced and inclusive sports coverage.
Similarly, Florence Adeyanju, chairperson of the NOC Women’s Commission, expressed concern that media reports sometimes focused more on female athletes’ physical appearance than on their skills and achievements.
“Journalists’ choice of language and perspectives can either promote inclusiveness or reinforce stereotypes that limit opportunities for women and girls.
“Journalists should adopt reporting practices that promote fairness and equality while raising awareness of the benefits of sports participation for women and girls,” she said.
Also speaking, Bukola Olopade, Director-General of the NSC, called for greater recognition of women’s contributions to sports journalism and administration.
Olopade urged journalists to uphold fairness, accuracy and balance by verifying information and giving relevant parties opportunities to respond before publishing reports.
He said responsible reporting was essential to building public confidence in sports administration and attracting investment to the sector.
Benjamin Isaiah, President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), commended the NOC for organising the seminar.
Isaiah urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to improve their professional skills and promote more inclusive sports coverage.
Another speaker, Tracy Chapele, a sports journalist, urged participants to focus on improving their brand as journalists while telling background stories of athletes.
“As journalists, we should go beyond reporting the outcome of matches to telling the background stories of these athletes.
“This information differentiates your work from every other one out there. It also improves your brand as a good storyteller,” Chapele added.
The seminar, which attracted 40 sports journalists from FCT, is scheduled to end on Tuesday.