For International Women's Day, we celebrate the five most influential Nigerian women in sports.
Pulse Sports join the rest of the world to celebrate the International Women’s Day today, March, Thursday, 8.
March 8 is set out annually to commemorate the struggle for women’s rights. The theme for 2018 International Women's Day is 'Press for Progress' to help accelerate gender parity.
To celebrate the International Women's Day, Pulse Sports bring you a list of the most influential women in Nigerian sports.
1. Asisat Oshoala (Footballer)
Asisat Oshoala remains the most influential woman in Nigerian sports. The Super Falcons forward continues to make steady strides towards becoming a legend. In 2017, the 23-year-old had an impressive year in her debut season in China with Dalian Quanjian.
She scored 12 goals for Dalian Quanjian in the Chinese Women’s Super League and was voted the best striker in the league.
Oshoala was in January named 2017 African Women’s Player of the Year, the third time she is getting that award.
2. Seun Adigun
The stories of the women’s bobsled and skeleton athletes who are the first athletes to represent Nigeria at the Winter Olympics are well told.
The origin of that story can be traced to Seun Adigun, a former Nigerian athlete who after retirement took up bobsled and encouraged her friends to join her.
She was also instrumental in the forming of Bobsled & Skeleton Federation of Nigeria which went on to ensure that they were able to compete at the Olympics.
Seun led her teammates Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga at the 2018 Winter Olympics while Simidele Adeagbo after being inspired by the women’s bobsled team was also in Pyeongchang to represent Nigeria.
3. Rasheedat Ajibade
Nigerian football star Rasheedat Ajibade is undoubtedly the next big thing in Nigerian women’s football.
Ajibade was fantastic in the 2017 Nigeria Women's Premier League, (NWPL) netting eight goals for FC Robo Queens.
Although FC Robo Queens could not make it to the Super Four (the NWPL finals play-off), Ajibade was the standout star of the NWPL and was voted the Best Player in the league in the 2016/2017 season.
She got a call-up to the Falconets where she has captained a host of games during the successful FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
She has grown in her status to become an influential figure in Nigerian women sports.
4. Nigeria’s Bobsled and skeleton athletes
The most popular Nigerian women athletes in Nigeria, the quartet of Seun Adigun, Akuoma Omeoga, Ngozi Onwumere and Simidele Adeagbo made history as the first athletes to represent Nigeria at the Winter Olympics.
For once Nigerians were so interested in the Winter Olympics because of these four amazing women. They dominated headlines and got press from all over the world from Ellen Show to CNN to Pulse.
5. Blessing Okagbare
Irrespective of her recent results, Blessing Okagbare e continues to be one of the leading faces of women sports in Nigeria. The Olympics and World Championships medalist holds the Women's 100 metres Commonwealth Games record for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds. Her 100 m best of 10.79 makes her the African record holder for the event.
She was African 100 m and long jump champion in 2010. She has also won medals at the All-Africa Games and the IAAF Continental Cup.
She has competed in three Olympic Games.