There has been growing criticism of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria for its mismanagement of Nigerian athletes, leading to missed opportunities and disappointing performances at international events.

On social media, X user @OurFavOnlineDoc highlighted the case of Annette Echikunwoke, a Nigerian-American hammer thrower.

Echikunwoke was disqualified from representing Nigeria at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to negligence by the AFN.

She wrote on Instagram, “On my 25th birthday, I was officially informed that I cannot compete at the Tokyo Olympics due to the negligence of the federation I was set to compete for.”

Echikunwoke later switched her allegiance to the United States and won a silver medal in the hammer throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

She threw 75.48 meters, just short of her African record of 75.49 meters set in 2021.

He also highlighted another case of Francis Obikwelu a retired Nigerian-born Portuguese sprinter who specialized in the 100 meters and 200 meters events.

OurFavOnlineDoc wrote “This is exactly how Nigeria also lost that incredible athletic talent. Francis Obikwelu was injured while competing for Nigeria at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He was then neglected by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and he had to bear the cost of his surgery on his own.”

“Guess what? He then switched allegiance to Portugal and competed for them at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He went on to become the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the 100 metres men. In the same race, he set the European record in the event at 9.86 seconds, which stood for nearly 17 years. Francis won the first medal ever in athletics sprinting events for Portugal. This was a man that could have easily won medals for Nigeria.”

Another critic, X user Obiasogu David with handle @afrisagacity, called out the AFN for mishandling the case of Favour Ofili, a promising Nigerian sprinter.

Ofili, who recently competed in the 200 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished sixth, was left out of the 100 meters event.

David wrote, “Favour Ofili was qualified for the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×100 relay. Her name was omitted from the final list sent to the International Olympic Committee, despite being confirmed by both the AFN and the Nigerian Olympics Committee. This issue raises questions about who is responsible for the oversight.”
“The other Nigerians sent home alongside Favor Ofili were Knowledge Omovoh, Ruth Usoro,, Rosemary Chukwuma, Glory Patrick, Yinka Ajayi, Tima Godbless, Chidi Okezie, Chioma Onyekwere”

The negligence of AFN and NOC, which merits severe punishment, stole Nigeria’s chances at the Tokyo Olympics. With the mass disqualification of our prime athletes, the ones who remained were simply overlapped and overused.

They’re fixed to run different meters they’re not prepared for. It caused them fatigue and hindered their ability.

David continued, “Favour Ofili’s dream was shattered due to the negligence and incompetence of Nigerian agencies. Her years of hard work were wasted because of this mismanagement.”

Reactions on X have been vivid and passionate. @cbiano lamented “Gloria Alozie is another mention. It’s sad what Nigeria does to her many talents. It goes beyond sports….education, medicine, tech etc. The list is endless. When they cross the borders, Nigerians become superstars. It’s so sad.”

@Danielc29172796 recalled, “Even our own Anthony Joshua was a victim prior to Beijing 2008 Olympic games,he wanted to represent Nigeria but was denied. He switched allegiance to Britain”

@ethobil1 noted, “It’s really sad that this is happening again and to the same athlete back to back. It’s about 24hrs after the sports minister sent out his epistle on X and nothing seems to be happening. At least the heads of AFN and NOC should be suspended to make for thorough investigation.”
@EmmaAnyachor urged, “We have to start taking stories like this to market places and also to church pulpits,” reflecting a call for broader awareness and action.

@iam_arinzona supported Echikunwoke’s decision, stating, “For the fact that she represents the US at the Olympics, she might get some funds for life. Best decision for her.”
@NnejiTheodore expressed, “We are anxiously waiting to see how the Ministry of Sports and the Federal Government will handle this deliberate negligence of the AFN and NOC”, while @umehobinna09 emphasized the dire situation, saying, “If you speak up against bad governance, they will give you 2 cups of rice, 5k naira not to protest or get mad policemen to shoot you dead.”

@AyoAdegunle hoped, “May Nigeria not happen to us 🙏,” and @BoyDancruz lamented, “We are in a shit hole 💔.” @DebbySimon69 added, “Old order mortgaged the future of Nigeria youths…. There is no future in Nigeria.”

@ransjay_ibroze remarked “What a painful situation to bear. This lapse by sports officials may be one of the reasons that make other athletes prefer to represent other nation than Nigeria”

The criticism comes amid ongoing protests against poor governance and widespread dissatisfaction with how Nigerian authorities handle critical matters, including sports.