The Paris 2024 Olympics have wrapped up, and Nigeria, the so-called “Giant of Africa” with an increasing population of over 200 million people, walked away empty-handed—no medal, nothing! This outcome, however painful was quite predictable. The feeling can be likened to deja vu every time Nigeria steps onto the biggest stage of the world athletics competition.
Usually, we expect miracles from athletes like Ese Brume, Tobi Amusan, or weightlifting and taekwondo talents, who often save faces. However, even our ‘damage control’ heroes couldn’t save face. The glitch in the system was vehemently overwhelming.
The Nigerian sports federation whose main function is providing athletes with the utensils to thrive on the global stage, proved embarrassingly useless. The cracks in the system were laid bare for all to see.
The hideous display started with Favour Ofili, one of the country’s brightest stars. The 21-year-old sprinter found herself sidelined when her name wasn’t registered for the 100m race—a glaring error she publicly blamed on the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC). While Sports Minister John Enoh launched an inquiry, the AFN and NOC have shrugged off responsibility. As of now, no one has been held accountable.
Then came the debacle of cyclist Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, who arrived at the games without a bicycle to compete in the keirin and sprint events. The reason? Short notice of her participation. Once again, the Sports Minister stepped in to “clear” the issue, but why is it always us?
And let’s not forget the growing trend of Nigerian athletes switching allegiances—and winning medals for other countries. Take Annette Echikunwoke, for example. The former Nigerian athlete won a silver medal for the USA in the women’s hammer throw at Paris 2024, marking a historic moment as the first American to win a medal in the event. Echikunwoke’s success comes just a few years after she switched nationalities, frustrated by the AFN’s administrative blunders ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
Born in Ohio to Nigerian parents, Echikunwoke initially chose to represent Nigeria, feeling a deep connection to her roots and wanting to make a difference on the global stage. She even set a new African record of 75.49 meters in the women’s hammer throw. But just before the Tokyo Olympics, her dreams were crushed when she was disqualified due to Nigeria’s failure to comply with the out-of-competition testing (OCT) requirement. Disillusioned, she switched to the US, and now she’s an Olympic silver medallist.
In the lead-up to Paris 2024, over 12 billion Naira was reportedly allocated for Nigeria’s Olympic preparations. Yet, here we are with no medals to show for it. Where did all that money go? Will there be an investigation? Will anyone be held accountable? Your guess is as good as mine.
The world is watching, and once again, Nigeria’s incompetence is on full display. Honestly, I hope more Nigerian athletes follow Annette Echikunwoke’s lead and switch allegiances because it’s clear there’s no green grass here.
Paris 2024 was a disaster for Nigeria, but as disappointing as it was, it’s hardly a surprise.
