September 30, (THEWILL) – The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be a dark chapter in Nigerian sports history as an entry of profound disappointment. With zero medals won across 12 sports and 88 athletes after N12 billion was reportedly spent, the country’s performance was nothing short of catastrophic. This outcome stands in stark contrast to the promise shown by Nigerian athletes in recent years, including their two-medal haul at Tokyo 2020 and strong showings in pre-Olympic competitions.
Athletics, traditionally Nigeria’s Olympic stronghold, witnessed a complete meltdown. Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles and a gold medal favourite, failed to reach the final. Her semifinal elimination with a disappointing time of 12.55 seconds symbolised Nigeria’s broader struggles. The men’s sprinters fared no better, with Favour Ashe, Godson Oghenebrume, and Kayinsola Ajayi all crashing out in the 100m semifinals. Nigeria’s once-feared relay teams were equally ineffective, with the women’s 4x100m squad finishing 6th in their heat and the men’s 4x100m team placing 7th. The men’s 4x400m relay team suffered the ultimate indignity of disqualification due to a technical infraction before they could even compete.
Field events provided no solace. Ese Brume, a former Olympic bronze medalist, managed only 5th place in the long jump with a subpar 6.70m leap. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finished 6th in the men’s shot put final, far from medal contention. The disappointments extended beyond track and field, permeating every aspect of Nigeria’s Olympic campaign.
The women’s football team, once a source of continental pride, endured three consecutive losses in the group stage against Brazil, Spain, and Japan. They failed to score in two matches and conceded five goals overall. Boxing saw early exits across the board, with Olaitan Olaore losing in the first round of the men’s heavyweight division and Cynthia Ogunsemilore disqualified from the women’s lightweight competition before it even began.
Table tennis, led by the highly-rated Quadri Aruna, saw all four Nigerian athletes eliminated by the second round. Aruna’s loss to Romania’s Edward Ionescu was particularly shocking given his status as Africa’s top-ranked player. Wrestling, which delivered a silver medal in Tokyo through Blessing Oborududu, could not replicate that success, with Oborududu’s 5th place finish in the women’s 68kg category being the best result for any Nigerian wrestler in Paris.
Swimming and weightlifting saw equally lacklustre results. Swimmers Tobi Sijuade and Adaku Nwandu failed to advance past the heats in their 50m freestyle events, while weightlifters Rafiatu Lawal and Joy Ogbonne Eze finished 5th and 7th in their respective categories. The women’s basketball team provided a brief glimmer of hope with early victories over Australia and Canada, but losses to France and the United States saw them exit in the quarterfinals, highlighting the gap between Nigeria and the world’s elite teams.
Beyond the poor results, Nigeria’s Olympic campaign was marred by embarrassing organisational failures. Favour Ofili, a medal hopeful in the women’s 100m, was inexplicably not listed for the event. Cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye had to borrow a track bike from the German team to compete in the Keirin event, a humiliating indictment of Nigeria’s preparation and resource management.
In response to this Olympic debacle, Sports Minister Senator John Owan Enoh has taken steps to investigate the root causes of Nigeria’s failure. He has inaugurated a seven-member committee chaired by Dr. Mumini Alao to probe what has been characterised as the “negative exposures” the country faced in Paris. The committee’s mandate is broad, encompassing issues from athlete withdrawals and equipment shortages to doping concerns and contractual disputes.
Joining Dr. Alao on this crucial mission are Aliyu Mohammed from the North West, Hajia Rakiya Muhammed from the North Central, Godwin Enakhena from the South South, Dr. Abubakar Ango from the North East and Nnene Akudo from the South East while Victor Okangbe will serve as the committee secretary, ensuring the smooth operation of this diverse team.
This committee faces a monumental task. Their investigation must be thorough, impartial, and willing to confront uncomfortable truths about the state of Nigerian sports. They must address athlete preparation and support, examining how to provide world-class training, nutrition, and medical support year-round. The chronic underfunding of Nigerian sports demands their attention, with a need for transparent and efficient resource allocation across various sports federations.
Talent identification and development cannot be overlooked. The committee should propose a nationwide system to identify and nurture young athletic talent, providing clear pathways from grassroots to elite levels. Infrastructure development is equally crucial, ensuring modern training facilities and equipment are available to athletes across the country, not just in major cities.
Administrative reform must be a priority. The Nigerian Olympic Committee and individual sports federations need staffing with competent professionals, free from political interference. A robust anti-doping programme is also essential to ensure Nigerian athletes compete clean and avoid embarrassing disqualifications. Long-term planning must be at the forefront, looking beyond the four-year Olympic cycle to build sustainable programmes.
The committee’s work will be meaningless if it does not lead to concrete action and reform. The Nigerian government, Sports Development Ministry, and Olympic Committee must be prepared to make difficult decisions and invest significant resources to turn the country’s Olympic fortunes around. This may include removing ineffective administrators, increasing funding for prioritised sports, and partnering with international experts to modernise training methods and facilities.
Furthermore, the committee should consider recommending the establishment of an independent oversight body to monitor the implementation of reforms and ensure accountability in Nigerian sports administration. This body should have the power to audit sports federations and withhold funding if performance targets and good governance standards are not met.
The embarrassment of Paris 2024 must serve as a catalyst for change. Nigeria, with its population of over 200 million and rich sporting heritage, has the potential to be an Olympic powerhouse. The talent exists – as evidenced by the occasional breakthrough performances and success in other international competitions and the podium finishes in Paris of athletes of Nigerian origin who switched nationalities. What has been lacking is the systematic approach and professional management needed to consistently produce world-class athletes across multiple disciplines.
As the dust settles on the Paris disaster, all eyes will be on Dr. Alao’s committee and the subsequent actions taken by Nigerian sports authorities. The nation’s athletes and sports-loving public deserve better than the humiliation they endured in Paris. It is time for Nigeria to transform its Olympic dreams into a concrete, achievable reality through hard work, strategic planning, and unwavering commitment to excellence.
The diverse expertise of the committee members, from Aliyu Mohammed’s administrative experience to Nnene Akudo’s insights, provides hope that this investigation will be comprehensive and impactful. Their collective efforts, guided by Dr. Alao’s leadership, may well determine the future of Nigerian sports on the global stage
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
