By Dr. Joel Ademisoye, United States
The President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa should hold his breath and stop parting himself on the back and taking a credit for the incredible, brilliant performance and achievements by the Nigerian Athletes in the 2026 NCAA Athletics Outdoor Competition in Eugene, Oregon in United States.
Yes, for this writer, it is true that the brilliant performance and achievement by the Nigerian Athletes, deserved praise, but it is indicative of their personal interest, commitment to their development and determination to succeed in the athletics world in the faraway U. S. It is also true that these Nigerian Athletes- Kanyinsola Ajayi in the men’s 100m (9.72 secs) and Samuel Ogazi in 400m (43.38 seconds), etc., are flying the Nigerian flag high.
Beyond the flying of the Nigerian flags, the AFN needs to do a thorough soul searching about its leadership role in, commitment to the Nigerian athletics, preparing for the good welfare of the Nigerian athletes, the good governance and management of athletics devoid of corruption in the country and the provision of adequate training facilities for the Nigerian athletes across the country.
I see the brilliant performances by Ajayi, Ogazi and Israel Okon in the NCAA, as a wake up call to the President of the AFN, of the potential success of the young Nigerian athletes, if properly cared for, nurtured and trained, I think they are capable of achieving their goals and objectives in the global athletics/ sports competitions.
Moving forward, there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift by the AFN in the reforming of the athletics organization, governance and management in Nigeria, involving the proper training of the young Nigerian athletes, providing adequate training facilities and coaching staffs, mobilizing the financial resources and company sponsorship for the athletics competitions across the country.
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