Chief Donatus Agu-Ejidike, Nigeria’s Pillar of Sports, has called for a thorough investigation by the National Assembly and relevant authorities into Team Nigeria’s poor showing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite sending around 80 athletes across various sports, the country failed to secure any medals.
Speaking to reporters in his Ilorin office, Ejidike expressed dismay over the lack of podium finishes and emphasized the need for a forensic audit to uncover the reasons behind the disappointing performance. He compared this year’s failure to past Olympic setbacks, including those in Helsinki (1952), Melbourne (1956), Rome (1960), Mexico (1968), Moscow (1980), Seoul (1988), and London (2012).
Ejidike attributed the historical gaps in performance to developmental differences of the past but criticized the current lack of progress given today’s globalized access to advanced training techniques. He also noted the administrative issues, such as the omission of athletes like Favour Ofili and Ese Ukpeseraye, which contributed to the poor outcomes.
He specifically pointed out that while the Minister for Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, attributed some issues to last-minute changes, there should have been better preparedness and contingency planning by the Nigerian Cycling Federation (NCF) and other bodies.
Ejidike lamented the loss of talent to other countries, citing athletes like Salwa Eid Naser, Rasheed Adeleke, Ayomide Folorunsho, and Annette Echikunwoke, who achieved success representing other nations due to Nigeria’s administrative shortcomings.
Describing the performance as “shambolic” and unacceptable, Ejidike questioned the allocation of the ₦12 billion (Twelve billion Naira) provided by the Federal Government for the Games. He demanded answers on the expenditure and the reasons behind the non-registration of key athletes like Favour Ofili.
Ejidike praised the efforts of individual athletes, particularly the national women’s basketball team, the D’Tigress, for reaching the quarter-finals, a historic achievement for African teams. He criticized the prevalent culture of cronyism in sports administration and called for an end to such practices to ensure better performance in future international competitions.
