From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has commended the female athletes at the just concluded Commonwealth Games, Birmingham 2022, for changing the narratives for the image of Nigeria for the best, by hurling in gold medals to place Nigeria on the global arena as the best African Team in the competition.
In a statement she personally signed, Tallen said, there is a need to celebrate the Nigerian Women and Girls, as they continue to redefine Nigeria in the eyes of the world.
She said: “As a mother would not allow her home to crumble in any ailing situation, the young women on the Team Nigeria to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have risen to the challenge of changing the narratives for the image of Nigeria for the best, by hurling in gold medals to place Nigeria on the global arena as the best African Team in the competition.
“As I watched these amazing amazons embrace the Nigerian flag with infectious joy, to the amazement of the world, I was more than ever convinced that the future of this Nation lies in the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian Woman. If they can do it in sports, they can also bring about a robust and strategic approach in addressing the challenges of the Nigerian State. Women, I should say, hold the ace and must be given the opportunity to showcase their potential.
“And so, with pride as the Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs, I dare to say that in all my experience of Nigeria’s participation in sports at international engagements, the year 2022, which we already tagged as the “Year of “Hope” for Nigerian Women and Girls has remained the best for Team Nigeria Athletes, ever with the young women doing us proud.