In the wake of Team Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, several sports stakeholders have called for a forensic investigation. The team returned home without a single medal, marking the eighth time in Nigeria’s Olympic history that they failed to make it to the podium.
The Paris 2024 Olympics echoed past performances in 1952 (Helsinki), 1956 (Melbourne), 1960 (Rome), 1968 (Mexico), 1980 (Moscow), 1988 (Seoul), and London 2012, where Team Nigeria also failed to secure any medals.
Sports enthusiasts in Abuja expressed their dismay on Tuesday over the lack of podium finishes for any of the athletes. They emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the events that transpired from the start of the Games to the end.
Donatus Agu-Ejidike, Nigeria’s Pillar of Sports, urged the National Assembly and other relevant authorities to conduct a forensic probe into the team’s poor performance. He believes this investigation is crucial for gathering information to prevent a repeat in the future.
Agu-Ejidike, a sports philanthropist from Anambra, criticized the administrative failures that led to the exclusion of certain athletes, who were initially seen as strong medal contenders. He highlighted the need for a comprehensive investigation to identify those responsible for the mishaps that denied athletes like Favour Ofili the opportunity they had worked hard for.
He also expressed regret over the number of Nigerian athletes who, due to administrative inefficiencies, switched allegiance to other countries and went on to win medals for their new nations. “The most painful of them all is Annette Echikunwoke, who faced the same fate as Ofili in Tokyo. Due to chronic administrative ineptitude in Nigeria, she switched her allegiance to the U.S. and won a silver medal in Hammer Throw,” Agu-Ejidike lamented.
He pointed out other athletes like Yemisi Ogunleye, who won gold for Germany in Shot Put, as examples of Nigeria’s talent drain due to poor administration.
Agu-Ejidike described the performance of Team Nigeria as “shambolic and unacceptable,” insisting that those involved must be held accountable, especially considering the over ₦12 billion released by the Federal Government for the Games. He questioned how the funds were spent and why key athletes like Ofili were not registered for events.
Ahmed Gara-Gombe, Sports Entrepreneur and Chairman of the Gombe State Athletics Association, called for the dismissal of the Sports Minister, citing the exclusion of Ofili from the 100m event and the overall poor performance of Team Nigeria as national embarrassments. He urged President Bola Tinubu to impose serious sanctions on the Sports Minister, the NOC President Habu Gumel, and AFN President Tonobok Okowa as a deterrent for future misconduct.
Gara-Gombe criticized the Sports Minister for promoting corruption within the sports sector, leading to the current crisis. He noted that the Minister’s refusal to listen to those who would tell him the truth about the state of Nigerian sports contributed to the poor outcomes.
Godwin Bamigboye, National Coordinator of the Association of Football Administrators in Nigeria (AFAN), pointed out that sports federations are poorly funded and managed, with politics often taking precedence over merit in appointments. He called for a revival of national competitions, including the National Sports Festival (NSF), and criticized the appointment of novices as sports ministers.
Bamigboye urged President Bola Tinubu to return Nigeria to its glory days, referencing past Olympic successes like Chioma Ajunwa’s gold medal in Atlanta 1996 and the U23 team’s victory over Argentina for gold in the same year.
Isaiah Benjamin, President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), described Team Nigeria’s performance as far below expectations. He attributed the failure to administrative incompetence and negligence, which became apparent when Favour Ofili’s name was missing from the 100m event list.
Benjamin expressed disappointment over the unfulfilled promises of a medal haul, stating that the Sports Ministry had assured Nigerians of a performance that would surpass the country’s best-ever outing at Atlanta 1996. He criticized the federations for focusing solely on athlete qualifications rather than preparing them for Olympic-level competition.
Benjamin concluded by calling for an end to the cycle of poor performance, stressing the need for better management of Nigeria’s abundant sporting talent. He noted that many athletes who switched allegiance to other countries had achieved significant success, further highlighting the shortcomings of Nigeria’s sports administration.
