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*Team Nigeria's fiasco at the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics is symptomatic of the systemic rot in almost all facets of the national life
The 'medal-less' outing of Team Nigeria at the just-concluded 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, has yet again exposed the ineffectual and dysfunctional leadership in Nigeria that cut across all segments of the country's sectors.
With lofty hopes and great expectations of medals haul, Team Nigeria went to the Olympics. But the outcome at the end of the tourney is simply disastrous, unthinkable and unimaginable.
Team Nigeria returned home empty-handed. Not even the least of medal - bronze, was won in all the games they participated in.
Like it is often said, nobody knows where water entered inside the coconut. But in the case of Nigeria, even the daftest of person can conjecture the reasons for the abysmally poor performance of the Nigerian team.
The cause of failure is not farfetched - leadership failure in the country's sports administration, and by extension, the general administration in the country.
Painfully enough, some 'JAPAed' athletes of Nigerian descent made significant contributions while representing other nations.
These athletes, though born or connected to Nigeria, chose to compete under the flags of countries such as the United States, Germany, Bahrain, France, Great Britain and Spain.
Their performances not only earned them individual glory but also highlighted the diverse and global nature of talent originating from Nigeria, yet our sports administrators demotivate the athletes in Nigeria.
But the country's contingents to the Olympics left the tournament without securing a single medal, marking it as one of the country’s most disappointing Olympic outings in recent times.
Despite having a strong roster of athletes, the closest Nigeria came to winning a medal was in athletics, where a few athletes made it to the finals but failed to finish on the podium.
This result contrasts sharply with Nigeria’s best Olympic performance, which occurred at the Atlanta 1996 Games, where the nation won six medals, including gold in men’s football and women’s long jump.
On the other hand, the 2024 outing could be considered among Nigeria’s worst, paralleling the 2012 London Olympics, where the country also failed to win any medals, underscoring the ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s sports development and international competition performance.
It is a known fact that Sports apart from the entertainment aspect of it, is a money spinner as winners usually go home with lot of prize money.
But in the case of Nigeria it was an investment gone awry as a whopping sum of N12bn was committed to an investment the country got nothing in return at a time the citizens are at a dagger's drawn with authorities over hunger, poverty, starvation and hardship pummelling the nation.
It is just a few days the #EndBadGovernance protesters stopped their demonstrations against hardship in the country, yet the echoes of their agitations have sent jitters to the government that Nigerians have no joy in them and that their sufferings have reached the breaking point where the push has come to shove.
Talking about the country's commitment to the Olympics, Minister of Sports Development John Owan-Enoh emphatically said that President Bola Tinubu approved over N12bn for Team Nigeria’s preparation and participation at the tournament totalling N9bn and Paralympics, N3bn.
If there is any Nigerian that is distraught at the Team Nigeria's performance, it is the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi.
Obi, lamenting the abysmal performance of Team Nigeria, castigated sports administrators in the country for alleged corruption, ineffectual leadership, favouritism and incompetence.
He drew a parallel between Team Nigeria and Team Jamaica which won as many as six medals by spending less than five per cent of what Nigeria spent on its contingents.
He queried: “How can one explain that a country like Jamaica spent less than 5% of what we spent on our contingents for the Paris Olympics 2024 and won as many as six medals, and with our huge financial investments, we could not win even a single medal?
"At least, nine African countries won gold but the giant with over 200 million people came home without even a bronze.
“We invested about N12 billion into this Olympics, which is almost twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology for this year’s budget.
"This is over N136 million (about $85,000) spent on each of the 88 Nigerian contingents to the Olympics, and no single medal was won while Jamaica, a nation which spent far less than we did, a total of about $2,300 on each contingent, won 6 medals: 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at the Olympics. We must now question how we made this huge investment, without getting any returns.
“Sad stories like these are only obtainable because we have refused to embrace competence and capacity over favouritism in Nigeria.”
Though the woeful performance of Team Nigeria is painful, Nigerians cannot continue to cry over spilled milk, we must soldier on to ensure that our fortunes in sports do not pour down the drains.
Therefore, there is the urgent need for systemic reforms in sports administration in Nigeria as effective sports administration is crucial for the development of athletes and the success of a national team. Nigeria, like many other countries, may benefit from reforms that streamline processes, enhance transparency, and prioritize athletes' welfare.
Also, investment in facilities is imperative as access to world-class training facilities and infrastructure is essential for athletes to reach their full potential.
Investing in modern sports facilities can help Nigerian athletes train better and compete at a higher level on the international stage.
Furthermore, developing a strong grassroots sports programme is vital for nurturing young talent and building a sustainable pipeline of athletes.
Therefore, by investing in grassroots development programmes, Nigeria can identify and support promising athletes from a young age, laying the foundation for future success.
Moreover, quality coaching and talent development programmes are crucial for athletes' growth and performance improvement. Nigeria may benefit from investing in coaching education, mentorship programmes, and talent identification initiatives to support its athletes.
It is also no brainier that collaboration between the public and private sectors can play a significant role in advancing sports development in Nigeria. By working together, both sectors can pool resources, expertise, and networks to support athletes and drive positive change in the sports landscape.
By addressing these key areas and implementing strategic reforms, Nigeria can better position itself for success in future international sporting events, enhance the performance of its athletes, and promote a culture of sports excellence within the country.
While the Paris 2024 Olympics was a challenging outing for Nigeria, the future holds opportunities for redemption.
By learning from the experiences of Paris and focusing on areas for improvement, Nigeria can aim for a more successful outcome in Los Angeles 2028.
