Sports

Don’t Depart From Championing Students’ Cause, Minister Charges NANS

Published

4 years ago

October 19, 2022

Joel Ajayi
Minister of Youth and Sports Development Chief Sunday Dare has called on National Association of Nigerian Students NANS leadership not to depart from championing Nigeria students’ Cause.

He gave this advise on Wednesday when NANS led by its newly elected president, Usman Umar Barenbu paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja to showed appreciation to the Minister for the role he played in facilitating smooth, free and fair elections at their last convention.

According to Minister, do not depart from championing students’ cause anywhere you are, even after your graduation.
“Let me congratulate you for the successes recorded. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be great. The greatest numbers of our youth are domiciled in the tertiary institutions. Investing in students is important.

“As a Ministry, NANS is part of our responsibility. I assisted the last NANS administration with the payment for your website. You need a functional website and displaying your lines of activities and programmes is important.

“I urge you to draw closer those who lost during the election, in order to work with you and make your tenure a success.

“I’m a minimalist and you need to select what you can achieve during your tenure. Every youth with a voters’ card should be part of the voting exercise next year, so that the nation will have a democratic culture that will benefit our country.

“I’m excited that you all are getting back to school soon. The break in schooling was sad, but the most important aspect is that students are back to their campuses. I think NANS needs to send a ‘Thank you’ message to Mr President for making this happen,” the Minister concluded.

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Sports

SWAN President Calls for Gender-Fair Reporting in Sports Journalism

Published

19 hours ago

October 26, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Isaiah Kemje Benjamin, has urged sports journalists to eliminate gender stereotypes and bias in their reports to promote fairness, inclusion and greater visibility for women in sports.

Benjamin made the call on Monday in Abuja while delivering a presentation titled “Gender-Sensitive Journalism: Removing Gender Stereotypes and Bias in Sports Reporting” at the Annual Women in Sports Leadership Training/Seminar for Journalists, organised by the Women Commission of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

He said sports journalists play a critical role in shaping public opinion, influencing athletes’ visibility and determining which achievements receive recognition, sponsorship and investment.

According to him, the way the media reports women in sports can either reinforce existing barriers or help dismantle them.

Benjamin explained that gender-sensitive journalism requires fairness, accuracy, equality and inclusion, stressing that it does not mean giving female athletes favourable coverage or shielding them from legitimate criticism.

He identified common forms of bias in sports reporting, including giving men’s competitions greater prominence, focusing on female athletes’ appearance rather than performance, defining women by their marital or family status, and questioning their competence in leadership positions.

The SWAN president urged journalists to adopt respectful language, apply consistent professional standards and extend coverage beyond national teams to domestic leagues, grassroots competitions, female coaches, referees and sports administrators.

Using Nigeria’s sporting landscape as an example, he said the achievements of the Super Falcons deserved sustained analysis beyond match results, including discussions on investment, player development, professional leagues and grassroots structures.

He also noted that digital platforms offered opportunities to expand coverage of women’s sports but warned journalists against sensationalism, online harassment and sexist commentary.

Benjamin proposed seven measures, including gender-sensitive editorial guidelines, regular coverage audits, diversified sources, professional development, stronger grassroots reporting and measurable progress.

He called on SWAN to collaborate with the NOC, sports federations, leagues and clubs to improve access to information and strengthen women’s visibility in sports.

He urged journalists to ensure that athletes are judged by their performances and achievements rather than gender stereotypes.

“Gender-sensitive journalism must be fair, not favourable,” he said, emphasising that responsibility for change rests with reporters, editors, broadcasters, photographers and digital publishers.

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