The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is gearing up for its first post-Paris 2024 Olympic Congress on November 30, 2024. Despite Nigeria’s 88-athlete contingent leaving Paris without a medal, the AFN has much to celebrate and discuss after historic performances from the track and field team.
Key achievements from the Paris Olympics included U.S.-based sprinter Favour Ofili, who made history as the first Nigerian woman to reach the 200m final since Mary Onyali at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Quartermiler Samuel Ogazi also broke ground as the first Nigerian man to reach the 400m final since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, setting a personal best of 44.41 seconds in the semifinals. For the first time in Nigeria’s Olympic history, three women—Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro, and Prestina Ochonogor—qualified for the final in the triple jump. Additionally, shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finished sixth, and the men’s 4x400m relay team made the final before a lane violation disqualified them.
The AFN Congress on November 30 will tackle key issues from the Paris Games and brainstorm on improvements as Nigeria looks ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. AFN board members, led by President Tonobok Okowa, are evaluating potential venues, with Delta State a likely candidate if other options are unavailable.
An AFN board member stated,
We have a lot to address, especially the issues that affected our athletes at the Paris Olympics. We’ll also focus on boosting sponsorships since we can’t rely solely on government funding. Athletics is Nigeria’s second most popular sport after football, and with the right efforts, securing a title sponsor should be within reach.”
In addition to the Congress, the AFN has set its next board election for June 2025, marking the end of the current board’s term, which began in June 2021.
With a new focus on transparency, financial management, and strategic partnerships, the AFN is committed to a bright future for Nigerian athletics, building on the progress shown in Paris and paving the way for success in Los Angeles.
