By Emmanuel TOBI
I once asked Justina about her biggest dream.
She told me, “I want to play football and represent Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup.”
Life had other plans.
When she later discovered photography, her dream changed. She said, “I want to cover the FIFA Men’s World Cup as a photojournalist.”
Watching Justina cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final was a dream come true—not just for her, but for me as well.
About 14 years ago, I met a young teenage girl in tears after her team, CMS Girls, lost the GTBank Principals Cup final. I gave her my complimentary card and asked her to call me.
That same year, she had quit football, abandoned her education, and had almost given up on life.
A few months later, she called me. We met at the National Stadium in Lagos. I asked her what she truly loved apart from football and school.
Her answer was simple:
“Photography.”
She never asked me for money.
Instead, I challenged her to enroll at the Lagos State Vocational Centre in Ikorodu to study photography.
I attended her graduation and then introduced her to my bosses at New Telegraph—Editor Ayodele Ojo Samuel, Geoffrey Ekenna, and Adekunle Salami. She began her Industrial Training under the guidance of Asiwaju Suleiman Husaini, the newspaper’s Photo Editor.
Later, she gained admission to Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), and I paid her first tuition fee—the first substantial financial support I ever gave her.
I also introduced her to the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos Chapter, under the leadership of Fred Edoreh, who rallied members to support and mentor her. That became another major foundation in her journey.
I reached out to remarkable women who believed in her potential—Nabila Fash, Cece Omorogbe, and Tega Onajaefe (special thanks to Phatill Latipha Adebayo for the connection). Together, they paid for her second, third, and final years at YABATECH.
These amazing women proved that the saying “women don’t help women” is simply not true.
Justina remained hardworking, respectful, humble, and determined. Back then, she borrowed cameras just to do her job.
When I saw her resilience, I appealed to friends on Facebook for support. Former Super Eagles stars Obinna Victor, Oboabona Godfrey, Dele Aiyes (Dele Aiyenugba), Stephen Odey, and many other friends contributed towards buying her first professional camera.
Special thanks to former Nigerian basketball captain Olumide Oyedeji, who personally helped deliver the camera from Texas to Lagos.
I will never forget the late Ajuma Ottache, who took Justina in as a daughter and cared for her like a mother. Even while on her sick bed, she personally presented Justina with that camera. Her kindness, sacrifice, and belief in Justina’s future will never be forgotten.
Many others gave her something even more valuable than money—they gave her opportunities, visibility, and connections.
My sincere appreciation goes to Aisha Falode, Ayisat Yusuf, Odion Jude Ighalo, Asisat Oshoala ✅, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, the late Otunba Tade Azeez, Waidi Akanni, and the leadership of the Lagos State Football Association—Hajji Gafar, Otunba Dotun Coker Ofr, Mojeed Adegbindin, and many others.
There are also countless people working quietly behind the scenes, some who prefer not to be mentioned and others I may not even know. This tribute belongs to all of you.
Today, Justina has achieved what once seemed impossible.
She has covered the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Olympics, The Commonwealth Games, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), the Federation Cup, domestic league matches, women’s league matches, and many other major sporting events around the world.
She has also won several awards, both locally and internationally, in recognition of her outstanding work, dedication, and excellence in sports photojournalism.
Lessons From Justina’s Journey
• God only used me to help kick-start the journey. The glory belongs to Him, and many people contributed to her success, including her former and current employers.
• You can genuinely mentor and invest in a young woman without expecting sexual favours or any form of compensation.
• I didn’t start by giving Justina money. I gave her something even more valuable—access, mentorship, and meaningful connections that opened doors.
• Justina is only the third among many young people I have discovered, mentored, and inspired over the years.
• Most importantly, she did the hard work. Her humility, discipline, resilience, and determination brought her to where she is today.
Finally, if anyone feels offended by this tribute or by any omission, I sincerely apologize.
To every young person reading this:
Believe in your dreams. Never give up. One opportunity, one mentor, and one decision can change your life forever.
*PS: Justina Aniefiok is now a FIFA – CAF accredited photographer that covered the just concluded World Cup.
