16 Days of Activism: CITAD, NAPTIP Hold Awareness Match in Kano
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Thursday organised a novelty football match with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kano Zonal Command, as part of efforts to intensify campaigns against gender-based violence.
The match, which held in Kano under the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, ended 4–1 in favour of the CITAD Male Feminist Network (MFN) Team. Officials, however, stressed that the aim of the event was advocacy rather than competition.
The Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Disabled, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi, said the initiative demonstrated the impact of creative public mobilisation.
“This match is not about winning or losing,” she said. “It is about drawing attention to gender-based violence and reminding everyone that the fight requires collective commitment. I commend both CITAD and NAPTIP for championing this cause.”
MFN Project Officer, Sani Sa’idu Muhammad, said the use of football was deliberate to reach wider audiences.
“We used football to show unity and encourage men to take a strong stand against gender-based violence,” he said. “Men must be allies, not spectators, in this struggle.”
The Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Victoria Ose Udoh, urged both teams to sustain the spirit demonstrated during the match.
“In advocacy, everyone here is a winner,” she said. “The scoreline does not matter. What matters is that both teams commit to promoting safety, equality and support for survivors.”
Also speaking, the NAPTIP Gender Officer for the Kano Zonal Command, Hajiya Rasheeda Aminu, applauded CITAD for the initiative.
“This kind of collaboration strengthens our work,” she said. “CITAD has done well by using sports to raise awareness, and we look forward to more partnerships that help us tackle gender-based violence.”
The match drew civil society groups, youth organisations and supporters, who cheered the players while reinforcing calls for stronger measures to curb gender-based violence across communities.
