What should have been a proud moment for Nigeria at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo has instead become a global embarrassment, courtesy of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). In a move that defies logic, ethics, and basic decency, the AFN sent more officials than athletes, ejecting 11 qualified competitors to make room for self-serving administrators. This isn’t just mismanagement—it’s sabotage.
🚫 Officials Over Athletes: A National Disgrace
Kelly Ufodima, Tima God-Bless, Ella Onojuvwevwo, and Temitope Adeshina, all qualified, all dropped. These athletes met every standard, trained relentlessly, and earned their spots. But instead of representing Nigeria, they watched from the sidelines as bureaucrats paraded into Tokyo under the guise of “official duties.”
The AFN’s decision to replace medal hopefuls with desk-bound delegates is not just shameful, it’s criminally negligent. Eleven athletes were axed. Eleven dreams crushed. And for what? So that administrators could enjoy a taxpayer-funded vacation?
It gets worse. Nigeria failed to field a single relay team, not because the athletes weren’t ready, but because the AFN couldn’t manage basic logistics. The men’s and women’s 4×100m, 4×400m, and mixed relays were all disqualified due to non-registration. Athletes like Alaba Akintola, Itsekiri Itseoritshe, and Justina Eyakpobayen were left stranded, their efforts nullified by administrative incompetence.
Even Olympic legend Enefiok Udo-Obong publicly condemned the AFN’s leadership, revealing that visa applications weren’t submitted on time and home-based runners weren’t coordinated. This isn’t just a blunder, it’s a betrayal.
This isn’t the first time the AFN has sabotaged its own athletes. At Paris 2024, Favour Ofili was disqualified from the 100m, not for lack of talent, but because the AFN and Nigeria Olympic Committee failed to file her registration. Ofili herself called out the federation’s “untrustworthy” and “negligent” behavior. And now, history repeats itself.
Even Tobi Amusan, Nigeria’s world champion hurdler, exposed the poor quality kits handed to athletes, while officials strutted in full gear. The contrast is sickening.
This Tokyo debacle has cemented the AFN’s reputation as a federation that serves itself, not the athletes, not the nation, and certainly not the future of Nigerian sports.
The AFN has turned a global stage into a national humiliation. They’ve betrayed our athletes, sabotaged our medal hopes, and mocked the very spirit of competition. This isn’t just a call for reform, it’s a demand for accountability, transparency, and athlete-first leadership.
Until the AFN is rebuilt from the ground up, Nigeria will continue to suffer avoidable disgrace. And our athletes, the true heroes, will keep paying the price.