Outrage As AFN, NSC Officials Outnumber Athletes At World Championships Amid Relay Failure And Ofili’s Exit To Turkey

Nigeria’s participation at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo is facing outrage following revelations that more sports administrators than athletes made the trip, despite the country’s failure to qualify and register a single relay team for the global event.

The development comes in the wake of Favour Ofili’s transfer to Turkey, a move widely attributed to her dissatisfaction with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and years of neglect by local sports authorities. Her exit has amplified concerns about Nigeria’s chronic mismanagement of athletes and the dwindling faith of top talents in the country’s system.

According to Sahara Reporters, a bloated delegation of officials from the AFN and the National Sports Commission (NSC) travelled to Tokyo under the guise of “official duties.” At the same time, several athletes who had met the qualifying standards were excluded from the final team list.

Among those left behind are Kelly Ufodima (200m), Tima God-Bless (100m & 200m), Ella Onojuvwevwo (400m), and Temitope Adeshina (High Jump).

The exclusion of qualified athletes is compounded by Nigeria’s failure to prepare and register its relay squads, denying dozens of sprinters and quarter-milers automatic entries.

Notable names affected include Alaba Akintola, Itsekiri Itseoritshe, Fakorede Adekalu, Olayinka Olajide, Justina Eyakpobayen, and members of the 4x100m, 4x400m, and Mixed Relay teams.

Sports analyst Ifeoluwa Leo, who first raised the alarm, accused the AFN and NSC of embarking on a taxpayer-funded “jamboree” while abandoning their primary responsibility.

Officials of Athletics Federation of Nigeria(AFN) and National Sports Commission (NSC) are currently on a Jamboree To Tokyo whilst trying so hard to justify their estacode. Attempts at tactical maneuver and a desperate effort to hoodwink the public has made the AFN and NSC go to the media with the aim of covering up for their gross administrative incompetence,” he wrote.

“They are not telling us more officials than athletes travelled to Tokyo, and they are actually the ones going on a Jamboree despite multiple failures to do their job in ensuring athletes made it to the 2025 World Relays. As a result, Nigeria will not be fielding any relay team at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, but that hasn’t affected their Jamboree trip and estacode, which they are more interested in defending.”

Adding to the controversy, World record holder and reigning 100m hurdles champion Tobi Amusan voiced her frustration, ridiculing the AFN for providing substandard kits.

In a viral Snapchat video, Amusan lamented that Nigeria’s athletes were forced to compete with inadequate gear compared to their international counterparts.

As it is now, I have to wear an adidas black tight. I go show you wetin Jamaica. When I tell you say Jamaica is in the same WhatsApp group with Nigeria, but dem no worse like Nigeria. Nigeria, all the other countries give their athletes two kits. See wetin Nigeria park give us. This country (Nigeria) is really embarrassing.”

Read Also: Nigerian Sprinter, Favour Ofili to Switch Allegiance to Turkey After Repeated Nigerian Athletics Federation Failures

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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