United on the Field, But ‘Divided’ by State of Origin, as the Govs Host the Falcons

The selective hosting of valiant Super Falcons athletes has been met with mixed reactions. Some jurisdictions have only hosted team members who are native to their state. Some communication experts have criticized the selective hosting, arguing that it is a question of nationalism, while others have defended it, stating that it is not improper.

Osun and Abia states hosted the players from their respective states upon their return, days after their elimination from the competition due to their exploits in Australia while representing Nigeria, where they were united on the field against their opponents.

At the event in Osun, Governor Ademola Adeleke stated, “This morning I received Rasheedat Ajibade and Rofiat Imuran, both of whom were born in Osun State and play for the Nigeria Super Falcons. I lauded their efforts during their time in the tournament and reaffirmed our administration’s dedication to the development of the girl-child and sports in Osun State,” according to his Twitter handle, as reported by the media.

Similarly, Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, stated, “Yesterday, I received our Super Falcons players from Abia State (Uchenna Kanu, Esther Okoronkwo, Christy Ucheibe, and Glory Ogbonna), who made a name for themselves at the recently concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

According to media reports, the Governor of Abia praised the Falcons players for making Abia State and Nigeria proud with their outstanding performance and stated that they had become role models for youth in Abia and Nigeria in general. Akonte Ekine, communication expert and CEO of Absolute PR, stated that the selective hosting by the states sends the incorrect message to the younger generation and to all Nigerians.

Akonte stated that the players were united and played as a team on the field. “Without any of the players, no one can play as a team,” as “none of us is superior to all of us.”

He urged the Ministry of Information and National Orientation Agency to do more to spread the message of state unity. A band expert who prefers anonymity views the trend of states hosting natives of their states as a challenge to the pursuit of genuine nationalism.

“These players represented Nigeria as a team, and any hosting should have reflected that,” he said.

According to Desmond Esorougwe, Chief Editorial Officer of African Brands, it is a significant challenge for states to host their native athletes. It appears that the states have not yet adopted the symbol of national unity, according to him. He stated that states should view themselves as a part of the national enterprise as opposed to organizing events that tend to exacerbate ethnic causes. He stated that the Super Falcons played as a team and that separating them for hosting would not be wise.

Dare Ogunyombo, an expert in marketing communication, does not see any issue with the Super Falcons’ home states hosting their natives. According to him, the states wanted to associate themselves with the Super Falcons’ success, and their chosen strategy was to host athletes from their state.

Another commentator stated, “We cannot fault the governors for their actions because they stepped in to fill the void left by the NFF and the absence of a cabinet.”

“If the NFF and, by extension, the ministry of sports have a standard program in place for events of this nature, states may not see the need to host their own.” The governors took advantage of the system’s vacuum.