Resuscitating Nigerian athletics: The task before the Athletics federation of Nigeria
By Dr. Salau Dee Elf (NUGA Publicity Liaison Officer 1993-2001)
Nigeria is a great nation of athletic stars that specialise in Sprints and Jumps. Her products have won laurels at the All African Games, World Athletics Championship and the Olympic Games. These laurels were won from the 1960s up till 1990s and early 2000.
The AFN formally known as Amateur Athletics Association of Nigeria (AAAN) was founded March 11th 1944. It became 80 years March 2024. The current President of AFN is Tonobok Okowa elected in August 2021 after a bitter division and leadership crisis which started in 2019 and lasted for some years prior to the election.
The division and rivalries which had its roots in 2017 had its effects in the downturn experienced by Nigeria in Athletics. Countries like South Africa, Ghana and others took over the Sprints and jumps speciality away from Nigeria.
The crisis in the AFN affected her major Grassroot programmes that hitherto used to be an avenue to discover the young talents. The talents are properly harnessed to compete for the country.
The duo of Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau and Olamide George fought each other to Standstill as they headed for the Court prior to the election of Tonobok Okowa. Since his election some progressive development has started coming back to AFN.
More grassroot competitions where new talents are detected are on course in the AFN Calendar. The support of Nigerian athletes abroad who have been fending for themselves in the area of Coaches and equipment by the AFN is vital.
The recent qualification achievements in the coordination of the Nigerian male and female Olympic Relay races is heartwarming. The achievements of Tobi Amusan and few other athletes recently shows a paradigm shift in the crisis-ridden AFN.
Nigerians and lovers of Athletics should rally round the present AFN board to restore the lost glory of Athletics in Nigeria. This is the time to go to the Grassroots and get potentials for the country either in Nigeria or elsewhere. We have the talents, we must bring them out and train them to international standards.
Dr Salau Dee Elf writes from Lagos via [email protected]
