Aisha Buhari tourney gets theme

PHOTO: Chief of Staff to the First Lady, Dr Turin (third from right); LOC chairman Barr. Akinwunmi (left); Director of Organization Ms Falode (second left); Hon. Omidiran (third from left); Deputy Director of Organization Mrs Daura (right) and Marketing Consultant Mr Ige (second left) after the LOC met with the Office of First Lady at the State House in Abuja.

The Office of Her Excellency, the First Lady has approved ‘Playing for Good’ as the theme for the highly –anticipated Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament that the City of Lagos is hosting 13th – 21st September 2021.

Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the tournament, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi who made this known on Friday, reflected that the theme resonated with the vision and mission of the organizing committee to use the tournament to uphold the honour of the name and Office of Her Excellency, highlight the good causes of the Aisha Buhari Foundation and build and sustain positive narratives about the City of Lagos and Nigeria at large.

“Now that we have the theme, our media and marketing teams should work overtime to drive the message home to every Nigerian and to inspire the confidence and actual buy-in of the political and business environments in the Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament.

“As I keep saying, the principal objectives of this tournament include hosting a very successful tournament that reflects in totality the decency, decorum and excellence for which Her Excellency is known and respected globally, and also to promote and project the beauty, splendour of Lagos and the Nigeria nation,” Barr. Akinwunmi said.

Earlier, the Office of the First Lady and Members of the Local Organizing Committee met to synchronize the vision and mission for the tournament, known as the Aisha Buhari Cup.

At a meeting in the State House, Abuja, the two teams also deliberated and harmonized strategies, methods, measures and means to achieve the short-term and long-term objectives of the tournament, and also on how to deliver a hitch-free showpiece.

The First Lady’s team was led by Chief of Staff to the First Lady and SSA to the President on Administration and Women Affairs in the Office of the First Lady, Dr Rukayyatu Abdulkareem Turin, Technical Assistant to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Dr Mohammed Kamal, alongside other top officials of the Presidency, while the LOC led by its Chairman, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi also had Ms Aisha Falode (Director of Organization), Mrs Amina Daura (Deputy Director of Organization), Alh. Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Member), Hon. Ayo Omidiran (Member), Dr Wole Aboderin and Dr Sa’idu Suleiman (who both represent the Office of the First Lady on the LOC), Miss Kemi Areola (Member) and Mr Taye Ige (Marketing Consultant). General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi was also present.

The parley discussed broadly about the organization and long-term concept of the Invitational Tournament, the collaboration between the LOC, the Office of the First Lady and the Aisha Buhari Foundation, the enhancement of global visibility of the Future Assured programme.

A Football Conference is planned for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in a couple of weeks to further sensitize and galvanize the political and business environments to the principal objectives of the week-long tournament.

Her Excellency’s Future Assured (FA), an arm of the Aisha Buhari Foundation, seeks to actively advocate for the health and well-being of women and children through community mobilization and health promotion.