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Obi Faults Leadership as ₦12bn Olympics Budget Fails to Deliver a Single Medal
Peter Obi has strongly condemned Nigeria’s leadership for the country’s poor performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has strongly condemned Nigeria’s leadership for the country’s poor performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Despite a significant financial investment, Nigeria failed to win a single medal.
Obi expressed his frustration on social media, accusing sports authorities of “rascality and recklessness” in managing theOlympics p roject.
Obi Laments Misuse of Funds, poor talent management
The wastage of resources and poor talent management were highlighted by Obi, who compared Nigeria’s performance to that of Jamaica.
Nigeria’s Olympic contingent of 88 athletes cost the country about ₦12 billion, nearly double the budget allocated to the entire Ministry of Science and Technology for the year.
In contrast, Jamaica spent approximately $2300 per athlete and won six medals. This stark comparison raises questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s sports management.
Obi also criticized the sports leadership for favoring personal interests over competence, leading to Nigeria’s poor performance.
He cited the case of Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili, whose name was inexplicably removed from the list of athletes for the 100m race.
Another example is Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower who switched allegiance to the United States after being frustrated by Nigerian sports authorities. Echikunwoke went on to win a medal for the U.S. at the Olympics, a loss that Obi attributed to the “rascality of some Nigerian leaders.”
Furthermore, Obi pointed out the mismanagement and administrative recklessness that affected individual athletes. He mentioned the case of Ese Ukpeseraye, a Nigerian cyclist who had to borrow a bicycle to compete in her event, describing the situation as “a national embarrassment.”
Obi also highlighted the presence of injured and unfit athletes in Paris, who were still receiving allowances from the national budget.
Obi hails Nigerian-born athletes who represented other nations
Despite Nigeria’s disappointing performance, Obi acknowledged the success of Nigerian-born athletes who competed under other flags. Yemisi Ogunleye won gold for Germany, Annette Echikunwoke won gold for the United States, and Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu won silver medals for Bahrain.
Obi also praised Rena Wakama, the Nigerian-American head coach of Nigeria’s female basketball team, who was named the best coach at the Olympics.
Obi urged Nigerians to recognize the message from the 2024 Olympics—that poor leadership continues to harm the country. He called for urgent reforms to dismantle the corrupt system and build a “New Nigeria” where competence and capacity reign supreme.
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