As the abysmal performance of Team Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympics continues to raise dust, Minister of Sports Development John Enoh says the different sporting federations in the country need comprehensive reforms for efficient sports development. 

The minister, who apologised to Nigerians over the poor outing in Paris, indicted the leadership of sporting federations for the lacklustre performance, emphasising the need for systems and structures at the federations to get the best athletes to represent Nigeria and get the desired medals in the next games.

“I’ve always stated that we need to reform our federations,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

“I am also glad that these discussions are going on now. And I need this discussion to continue. Let it not be limited to the reaction because we didn’t get a medal.

“Let it go further in terms of finding out which of those federations is holding the country to ransom when the ministry starts its move to want to reform, which of those federations wants to become an obstacle to that reform?” 

He said the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) was dead when he assumed office in August 2023, and that none of the sporting federations have well-equipped training centres.

He agreed that a state of emergency should be declared for sports development.

The minister admitted his limitation and that he had no powers to change weak ones among the federation leaders because they were elected by congresses.

“The leadership of these federations are elected in congresses, and they hold office for four years. Those four years coincide with the four-year Olympic circle,” he said.

Interference?

The minister said any attempt by him to make input into the activities of the federations is perceived as interference.

“It is the federations that pick the athletes that they think are competitive enough for any game.

“The federations are very strong in their defence of what decisions they make…these federations guard what they do so jealously that any attempt by any minister to reach out in things like this is considered interference.

“My responsibility is to prosecute the games at international competitions.

“I have avoided in my leadership most of the pitfalls that have bedevilled our sporting competitions and engagement internationally for the last several years.”

Enoh described Nigeria’s pathetic fate at the Olympics as a “very sad” one because Africa’s most populous nation couldn’t clinch a single medal despite that the country registered for 12 events at the global games.

Admits Poor Preparation

The minister expressed utter disappointment, saying that he didn’t expect that Team Nigeria would come back from the Olympics without a medal.

He said the medal-less outing should be blamed on a lack of motivation as all Nigerian athletes who participated in the games were well-paid, while some of them were paid in advance before the games.

He said over N8bn was spent on the competition, adding that Nigeria funds competitions and not training for the competitions. “We spent more funds qualifying for the Olympics than actual preparation for the real games,” he said.

The minister said there would have been backlash if he had ruled out Nigeria’s participation in the games because of poor preparation.

Enoh said heads would roll if findings establish that some persons sabotaged Nigeria’s chances at the games.

Decries Limited Powers

Asked whether he has the powers to sack or discipline any erring heads of federations, he said, “I don’t have such powers.”

The sports minister said he does not have the luxury to replace or work towards the replacement of those who can’t contribute enough to the development of sports at federations.

He said many of the federation presidents are in their third or fourth Olympics and they are holding the country to ransom with their lack of their ability to bring home medals from games after games.