Grace Towobola, a licensed football coach with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), is leading a transformative push to empower women in football coaching across Nigeria. A Chevening Scholar and thought leader in sports development, Towobola is breaking barriers in the male-dominated football coaching space through her Women’s Football Development Initiative (WFDI).
An Oyo State-based coach, Towobola holds an MSc in Sport Coaching from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in the United Kingdom. She combines a passion for harnessing sports for social change with expertise in football management, driving initiatives to bridge gender gaps in coaching and leadership roles.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Towobola highlighted the urgent need for public and private sector support to scale the impact of WFDI. The initiative has already trained 85 coaches and engaged over 2,000 girls across 20 schools, with six graduates now employed within the programme. Twenty female players have also received scholarships and free football gear.
“A lot is going on in that realm and we need both public and private sectors’ support,” Towobola said. “The time is ripe to draw the attention of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the Nigeria Olympic Committee, and the Nigeria Women’s Football League to support the WFDI.”
Through WFDI, Towobola runs three major projects — Coaches Leadership Training (CLT), the ASPIRE Project, and the WFDI Academy — all aimed at encouraging early career interest among girls, keeping girls in education, and fostering active lifestyles through football.
Since 2023, Towobola has served as Nigeria’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) Young Leader, delivering innovative programmes to increase women’s participation in football coaching.
A former agric-economist turned coach, Towobola’s journey began in 2017 at the University of Ilorin. She went on to intern at Remo Stars FC, working as an assistant coach for their U15 team during their victorious run in the NPFL LaLiga U15 competition. She also contributed her analytical skills at Abia Warriors FC and Enyimba FC during the 2020/21 CAF Confederation Cup.
Her coaching experience expanded internationally through her Chevening Scholarship. Towobola worked with Preston North End Women’s Football Team, served at the Manchester United Foundation, and managed the UCLan Women’s Football Team B in the BUCS League.
Notably, her outstanding voluntary contributions to sports were recognised in 2023 when she received the prestigious Gold Award from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Despite her global achievements, Towobola remains committed to grassroots development. As Training Officer of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA) in Oyo State, she launched the NFCA Oyo Education Department and currently leads a technical committee developing a 10-year strategic plan to uplift coaching standards across the state.
Towobola revealed that her ambition to coach started at the age of 12, inspired by her mother, a Physical Education teacher, and a newspaper article about Sir Alex Ferguson’s mentorship of Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I look forward to a day when a woman will coach the Super Eagles,” she said. “That’s what I live for — to empower women coaches to get there. It’s going to take a while, but I am willing to give it what it takes.”
Her passion continues to inspire many, including WFDI volunteers like Oluwafunmilayo Abodunrin and Sodiq Nurudeen, who testified to the life-changing opportunities created by the initiative.
Through WFDI and her relentless drive, Grace Towobola is not just changing the game — she is changing lives.
