To Other Countries
Favour Ofili’s switch of allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey marks yet another painful chapter in Nigeria’s deepening sports crisis. The 22-year-old sprinter, a shining light in Nigerian athletics, shocked many when she announced that she would now be representing Turkey on the international stage. The tipping point, according to her, was the repeated negligence and mismanagement by Nigerian sports authorities that cost her a chance to compete in the 100/ m event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Despite having met all the required qualification standards, Ofili was inexplicably omitted from the official entry list for the 100/ m. In an emotional post on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote: “It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters… I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what?” Her heartbreak echoed the frustration of many Nigerian athletes who have repeatedly suffered due to the incompetence of those charged with overseeing their careers and international representation.
This wasn’t the first time Nigerian officials failed their athletes on the biggest stage. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, no fewer than 14 Nigerian athletes were disqualified because the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), and the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) failed to release the necessary funds and follow the proper testing protocols.
These failures not only cost careers but embarrassed the nation globally. Ofili, in her decision to switch to Turkey, cited these continuous “administrative failures” as the core reason, adding that she desired to be in a system where she would be valued, properly registered, provided for, and treated with dignity.
The then Sports Minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, reacted to the incident at the Paris Games by promising an investigation and vowing not to tolerate what he called “utter recklessness.” He said he had contacted relevant sports officials and was seeking answers. “There will be thorough sanctions after investigations,” he assured the public. However, as has become the norm in Nigerian sports administration, nothing meaningful happened. No one resigned. No one was sacked. No one was held accountable.
AFN President at the time, Solomon Ogba, claimed that the omission and prior lapses were due to bureaucratic delays and poor funding. But many Nigerians see such explanations as a tired excuse for years of failure. The neglect is not limited to misregistration or paperwork errors.
There have been reports of Nigerian athletes washing their own kits during international competitions because official uniforms were either delayed or never arrived. Meanwhile, their foreign counterparts enjoyed full gear, dedicated support teams, and optimal preparation conditions.
What sports experts and enthusiasts are saying further highlights the crisis. Veteran coach Tobia Igwe, popularly known as Toblow, emphasized, “Athletes and coaches will move to where they can get money to meet their daily needs… If we cannot give them what they need, they will continue to switch.”
Athletics coach Tony Osheku warned that “any country that failed to invest in its athletes would make them search for greener pastures by switching allegiance.”
Punch correspondent Brown Ebewele stressed that the exodus is symptomatic of wider brain-drain, saying, “The situation of the country encourages Nigerians from all walks of life to dump the country for others with better opportunities.”
On social media platforms like Reddit and X, many shared similar frustrations. One user bluntly asked, “Who will pick Nigeria first when it consistently disrespects its athletes?” Another added, “Experts warn that a lack of investment in sports and other issues could prompt more African athletes to switch nationalities.”
The consequence of these persistent failings is a growing wave of talented athletes abandoning Nigeria for countries that value them. And if the trend continues, the damage to the nation’s sporting reputation may become irreparable. More elite athletes will be demotivated and seek greener pastures abroad. Nigeria risks a serious talent drain, weakening national teams across sports. The country’s reputation will be damaged, discouraging sponsorships and investments. Fans and youth will lose faith, perceiving sports as corrupt and unreliable.
Already, several high-profile Nigerian athletes have switched allegiances, often going on to achieve success under their new flags.
The most recent is Annette Echikunwoke, a hammer thrower who was denied a spot at Tokyo 2020 due to the AFN’s doping-testing failures. Frustrated, she switched to the United States and went on to win a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Games.
Salwa Eid Naser, born Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu in Nigeria, now runs for Bahrain. She won a silver medal in the 400/ m at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her decision, too, was driven by the pursuit of better support systems, professional coaching, and financial stability.
Kemi Adekoya left Nigeria for Bahrain in 2014 after persistent neglect from the Nigerian federation. She quickly made history by breaking the Asian record in the 400/ m hurdles and competing successfully at the world level.
Gloria Alozie, one of Nigeria’s most promising hurdlers in the early 2000s, switched to Spain after a series of painful experiences with Nigerian authorities, including their handling of her sister’s tragic death during the Sydney Olympics.
Francis Obikwelu, one of Nigeria’s most iconic sprinters, became a national hero in Portugal after he changed allegiance in 2002. He cited repeated injuries and lack of medical support as his reasons. In 2004, he won Olympic silver for Portugal in the 100/ m, a medal that could easily have been Nigeria’s if his talent had been nurtured properly. Daniel Igali, a wrestler who started in Nigeria, sought asylum in Canada and went on to win Olympic gold for his adopted country.
There are many others, Ayomide Folorunsho now competes for Italy, Morolake Akinosun for the USA, Femi Ogunode for Qatar, Oluseyi Smith for Canada, and sisters Tiffany and Cindy Ofili for Great Britain. All of them left for one basic reason, frustration with Nigeria’s system and a desire for better opportunities, dignity, and career development.
What this signals is not just the loss of medals or prestige, but a comprehensive moral failure. The very idea of representing one’s country should come with pride and assurance of support. Instead, for many Nigerian athletes, it comes with anxiety, neglect, and betrayal. The refusal of Nigerian sports leadership to reform, to admit fault, and to protect its brightest stars is steadily turning the country into a nursery of talent for other nations to harvest.
Unless there is a genuine overhaul, where systems are digitalized, responsibilities are enforced, and officials are made to account for their failures, the outflow of talent will not only continue, it will intensify. More medals will be won by those who started their careers in Nigeria but saw no future in its colours. And in the years to come, Nigeria may find itself clapping for others on the podium, watching the gold it helped nurture being hung on another country’s flag.
By Benprince Ezeh
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