A fast-growing female referee in Nigeria’s ever vibrant domestic football scene, Success Fidau Adam has disclosed that she has been inspired more by the recent achievements of Yemisi Eunice Akintoye at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Sports247 reports that Success Adam revealed that she was really excited when Akintoye stepped out twice as a centre referee at the 2026 WAFCON, one of which was in the semi-finals, and she reasoned that it means she will also get there one day.
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The native of Ejigbo in Osun State, whose father is a referee and assessor in the Nigeria National League (NNL), declared emphatically that, like Yemisi, she does not allow anything step in her path as a limitation or challenge against her aspirations of being the best.
The undergraduate of Chemistry at Lagos State University, whose older sister, Oyindamola is also a ref, added in an exclusive interview with Sports247 that she is now qualified to officiate in matches of the Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL), as well as Nationwide League One (NLO) and NNL fixtures.
“I am from Ikeja Society in Lagos State Football Referees Council, and I got promoted last year to the NLO/NNL grade. I’ve also officiated three NWFL games as a reserve referee in Lagos.
“My most memorable match was FC Robo Queens versus Dannaz Ladies in Lagos, when I was the fourth assistant along with three FIFA grade referees. I’ve also officiated as a reserve ref in many NLO games.
“I am now aspiring for a better position in officiating and looking towards achieving greater height. I aim to go farther than those who are there already,” Adam enthused.
She continued with a look at the process through which referees gain promotion, which entails a lot of physical activities and fitness tests but, having faced one in Lagos and another in Benin City, Adam enthused that she is already looking forward to the next one later this month.
“I wrote my promotion exam to Grade 1 last year, then went for the national fitness test, and I passed it, which qualified me for NWFL matches. It also gave me better opportunities for NLO and NNL matches.
“It’s the same process through which Yemisi passed, and what she has achieved motivates me to keep on giving my best. She motivates me a lot with her level of confidence.
“She is somebody with a very small stature, but she is not allowing that to limit her in anything she does. That also makes me believe that nothing should limit me, and I will not allow limitations to restrict me in anything that I’m doing.
“For me, there are no limitations and no challenges. I believe the sky is not the limit, but it’s actually the beginning for me,” said the smooth talking lass, who started refereeing in 2022.
She concluded by thanking her dad, Tijani Adam, for making her become a referee, while also revealing that she gets a lot of motivation from her mother and all her siblings, as she continues waxing strong with the whistle, because she enjoys it as an exciting hobby.
“I dedicate my refereeing efforts to my family. My dad is also a referee, and he has been my biggest supporter. My mum is my biggest fan, and my older sister, who is also a ref, motivates me a lot. In fact, all my siblings encourage me.
“I love being a referee, because of the love I have for football. I like the opportunity it gives me to know places and meet people. It’s a hobby that I practise along with my education.
“I am a student of Chemistry at Lagos State University. People often ask why I chose Chemistry and I always tell them it’s the simplest science subject for me. I can easily combine it with my duties as a ref.
“Being a football referee is a hobby, while going to the university will give me a profession. So, I’m studying Chemistry towards having it as the foundation of my profession in the future, while I continue refereeing as a hobby,” Success Adam projected.
