A federal investigative committee has blamed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for Favour Ofili’s absence from the women’s 100-meter event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In its recently released report, the committee concluded that poor communication and administrative negligence within the AFN contributed significantly to the error, adding to Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the Games, which ended without any medals.
The committee, led by Chairman Mumini Alao, highlighted various lapses that led to Ofili’s exclusion from the event. It pointed to failures across multiple organizations, including the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Nigeria Olympic Committee, World Athletics, and the International Olympic Committee. However, primary responsibility fell on AFN officials who, according to the report, failed to register Ofili in time, thereby eliminating her chances of competing in one of Nigeria’s best medal prospects.
The report specifically called out AFN Secretary General Rita Mosindi for her failure to communicate Ofili’s event status promptly to the Ministry of Sports Development and the Nigeria Olympic Committee. The committee labeled her actions as “negligent” and cited her role as critical in preventing further delays and confusion. “This was an instance of clear neglect of duty,” stated Alao. “Accurate and timely communication could have averted this unfortunate outcome.”
The committee also criticized Samuel Onikeku, the AFN Technical Director, for what it described as “poor judgment.” Onikeku allegedly received a hint about Ofili’s non-registration but failed to act on it. “Had he followed up on the information,” the report noted, “Ofili’s exclusion could potentially have been avoided.” The committee suggested penalties for these officials, stressing the need for accountability in Nigerian sports administration.
To compensate for the emotional impact on Ofili, who reportedly faced significant disappointment and stress due to the incident, the committee recommended that the AFN pay her N8 million in damages.
In a related controversy, Nigerian cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye caused a stir by posting on social media that she had to borrow a track bike from the German team to compete at the Olympics. In her post on X (formerly Twitter), Ukpeseraye revealed that the Nigerian team had failed to provide her with essential equipment, leading to embarrassment among the Nigerian contingent and cycling officials.
The committee addressed Ukpeseraye’s post, describing it as “unauthorised” and “embarrassing” to the Nigeria Cycling Federation (NCF) and the country’s Olympic delegation. “The cyclist, Ese Ukpeseraye, should write a formal apology to the Nigeria Cycling Federation (NCF) for the embarrassment that she caused,” the report stated, urging her to acknowledge the incident formally and make amends.
The committee submitted its report to the Ministry of Sports Development on October 22, just one day before President Bola Tinubu disbanded the ministry. Its functions have since been transferred to the National Sports Commission under new leadership by Shehu Dikko, signaling potential changes in sports governance and oversight in Nigeria.