Nigerian selected for Global Sports Mentoring Program

Oluwaseun Nariwoh

Dr. Oluwaseun Nariwoh, a sports administrator at the Lagos State Sports Commission, has been selected to attend the U.S. government’s flagship professional development exchange to empower women through sports.

Dr. Nariwoh is one of the 16 participants from around the world who have been chosen for the U.S. Department of State’s Global Sports Mentoring Program based on their exemplary leadership skills, experience, and impact in the sports sector.  

The Global Sports Mentoring Program is the product of a partnership between the Department of State, espnW, and the University of Tennessee’s Center for Sport, Peace & Society.

From October 10 to November 19, leading American female executives in business, education, media, non-profit, and sports sectors will work side-by-side with emerging sports leaders from around the globe, sharing valuable business and leadership skills.

The American mentors will assist the participants in the creation of strategic action plans that will be used to create specific sports opportunities for underserved women and girls when they return home.

Dr. Nariwoh’s participation in the program will include travel to Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Indianapolis. She will be mentored by the Director of Inclusion at the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Jean Merrill, and her deputy, Shay Wallach, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

All of the participants will engage with U.S. government officials and high-level figures in both the sports business as well as grassroots associations. They will also take professional leadership courses and learn about American culture, the American sports structure, and the history of disability sports and women’s sports in the United States.

United States Consulate Public Affairs Officer Russell Brooks congratulated Dr. Nariwoh on her acceptance into the prestigious program.

He noted that the Global Sports Mentoring Program advances the goal of empowering emerging female leaders to serve their local communities by increasing the access of women and girls to the opportunities available to them in the world of sports.

“The U.S. Department of State believes that sport is a vehicle to advance the status, liberty, and well-being of women, girls, and marginalized people throughout the world. The Global Sports Mentoring Program is based on the growing body of evidence that women and girls who play sports are increasingly likely to excel on both the playing field and in life.”

“We are confident that Dr. Nariwoh will further hone her skill-set and make a significant contribution towards gender equality in the sports community upon her return to Nigeria,” Brooks said. 

Since 2012, alumni from 75 countries have participated in the program, forming an international network of sports administrators, athletes, coaches, educators, and advocates promoting equality and inclusion through sports. 

Previous Nigerian participants of the program include Tega Onojaife, sports producer/presenter at Smooth 98.1 FM (2018); Chisom Mbonu-Ezeoke of SuperSport TV (2017); AdaMark Ogbole, CEO AdaMark Foundation for Girls (2013); and Nneka Ikem of Radio Nigeria (2012).