SPORTS: A VICTIM OF NIGERIA’S FAILURE

By: Okwuasaba David

ebubeokwuasaba@gmail.com
Sports in Nigeria between the years 1980-2000, still live in cultural memory for most
Nigerians, as those years were particularly marked by a global showcase of talents and will. For
practical emphasis, in 1989, at the African Championship Athletics competition, our athletes
dominated the table with 14 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze medals. It was hinted that at the time,
Nigeria was a force to reckon with, locally in Africa and even in international sport competitions.
In 1996, at the Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, the Nigerian football team i.e. The Super
Eagles rode on a path to gold after defeating Brazil, the best national football team at the time. A
feat recognized as not just as a win for Nigeria, but for Africa. Two years later, the country
would become the first African country to complete the group stages as the top team in the world
cup. Nigeria’s successes were not limited to football alone. At the same Olympics at Atlanta,
Chioma Ajunwa became the first Nigerian to win Olympic gold in a field event. Even locally,
our national football league was quite a moving success. But in recent times, we have witnessed
a decline in athletics as a country. Nigeria as a country has only finished as top once in all
athletic competitions participated in since the last two decades, in 2002 and 2012. The football
sector, which is often regarded as the number one sports in Nigeria, has constantly failed to attain
that expected dominance in global competitions. In 2021, our young and promising Super Eagles
squad did not only fail to put up a good challenge at the African Cup of Nations, they also failed
to qualify for the 2022 world cup at Qatar, and the list could go on. All these are not to in any
way downplay the efforts and successes of Nigerians who still go against all odds to make fitting
the country’s name through their various individual brilliance in various sports competitions
locally and internationally.
Moreover, it is a fact that the sport sector has continued to lag behind just like other
sectors in Nigeria over the years. In fact, as far as sports is concerned, Nigeria is now regarded as
sleeping giants. Consequently, most of the athletes and sports persons have left Nigeria to other
countries in search for greener pastures and a better career in sports. In the 2009 National Sports
Policy of Nigeria, it is clearly outlined as its mission, “the development of the sports sector to a
world class level where it would provide continuous improvement of quality of life for the entire
citizenry to the extent that Nigeria would be recognised as one of the leading sporting countries
in the world.” But this mission is yet to be realized. Thus, some questions abound. What really
happened to Nigeria? Why the persistent decline in sports? What is the way out?
No doubt, corruption is the bane of decline in the sports sector of Nigeria. It is not
uncommon to hear some Nigerians speak of how the Nigerian government always find a way to
corrupt whatever they lay their hands on. Such an idea is quite saddening, but also insightful.
Worthy of mention is implies that the issues that arise from the decline in sports are not external,
but internal. Reporting their interview with Mr Godwin Kienka, the chairman of the sports
reforms committee set up in 2016 by the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, the Sun
Magazine highlighted Kienka’s comment when asked about the nature of the problem with
Nigeria’a sports. According to Kienka, from state sports councils to the sports ministry, everyone
admitted that “the truth about the problem of our sports is that they are self-inflicted.” This arises
from the fact that the sports industry in Nigeria is tied to its politics. The decadent and perverse
nature of Nigeria’s politics now seems to have grown into virtually all sectors of the Nigerian
State, not excluding her sports sector. There is no gainsaying the fact that if a proper probe is
done into the dealings of government officials and other directors in Nigeria sports, one could
huddle up a whole bunch of foul plays committed over the years in our sports and how in various
ways, the ministry of sports, and the various commissions and committees responsible, have
failed as a body to be honest and resourceful over this sector of the country’s human resources.
Moreover, this evil persists because of the inordinate desires of some individuals for self-
enrichment. These inordinate desires have put the growth of every other thing in the country at
risk of degeneration. I therefore propose that the basic problem affecting sports in Nigeria, is a
mental process problem arising from her politics. The outstanding quality of human resources
and talents in Nigeria does not need overemphasizing. So, it is not an issue of incompetence on
the part of our athletes and sport persons. Rather it is an issue of negligence, bureaucracy and
corruption in Nigeria. Failure to provide proper facilities, failed renumeration of athletes and the
inability to harness the available resources.
Given the above ugly situations, it is necessary to begin to speak on the practical issues
and solutions in the sports sector. It is important to note that this has been done countless of
times. As a matter of fact, over ten reform committees have been set up in both state and national
levels over the past decade in an attempt to resolve the issues surrounding this discourse. Not to
talk of the many articles and even books that have been written in an attempt to analyse and
proffer solutions to this problem. Yet, it gets worse by the day.
Therefore, our attempt at rejuvenating sports must pay primary attention to this basic
problem. The government and the sports ministry must be sincere in their dealings. If most sport
leaders and directors, are competent, sports in Nigeria may become better once more. Another
attempt to solve this problem as suggested by some public sports analysts could be in the
expansion of the role the private sport sector in the country. In most European countries where
there is high level of recorded success in the field of sports, alongside the public sector, the
private sector with certain regulations also has a great role in providing financial and support for
sport infrastructure, providing sport activities and services for citizens, usually in the forms of
sport clubs and produce and sell sport products and services. Beyond its social outlook, the
sports sector is a highly commercial sector. If the government should play its part and allow
other various companies who may be interested and capable contribute their quotas.