Paul Edeh Raises Awareness on Need for Women to Invest in Women’s Football

By Arinzechi Chukwunonso

Founder of Naija Ratels Football Club and President of the Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF), Barrister Paul Edeh, has called on Nigerian women to take the lead in funding and managing women’s football.

He insists that true gender equality in sports will only be achieved when women begin to invest in the women’s game themselves.

Speaking at the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Diamond Jubilee Public Lecture in Abuja, the sports philanthropist and Chairman of the Benue State Football Association emphasized that while advocacy for inclusivity has grown, the actual participation of women as financiers and decision-makers in football remains alarmingly low.

“We cannot continue to advocate for gender equality in sports if women themselves are not willing to invest in the system,” Edeh said. “As we speak, all the privately owned clubs in the women’s league are owned by men. That shouldn’t be the case. We need more women to come forward—to own clubs, manage clubs, and sponsor competitions.”

Edeh, an advocate for the empowerment of the girl child, noted that his decision to invest heavily in women’s football was born out of conviction, not commercial ambition.

Through Naija Ratels and the RSDF, he said he has committed over ₦2 billion to developing female players, organizing competitions, and building structures that give young women a platform to succeed.

“For the past couple of years that I’ve been in the women’s game, we realized that we’ve invested over ₦2 billion promoting women’s football,” he revealed. “But the only money that keeps coming in are private funds that I put back into the system. If you ask me if I’ve made any financial gain, the answer is no. But when I see a young girl move from the street to playing in Europe or representing Nigeria, that is my greatest reward.”

The seasoned administrator linked his passion for women’s football to a deeper spiritual calling. Citing the story of the widow’s offering from the Book of Mark, Edeh said his work is driven by purpose rather than profit.