Olympics 2024: Obi Criticizes Nigeria’s Performance, Calls for Probe into Sports Leadership

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed deep dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics.

Obi lamented that despite Nigeria’s population of over 200 million, the country failed to secure any medals, casting doubt on its status as the “Giant of Africa.”

In a statement released on Sunday, Obi attributed Nigeria’s lackluster Olympic results to poor leadership within the country’s sports administration, calling the outcome a national embarrassment on the global stage.

He pointed out that the ₦12 billion spent on the Olympics yielded no returns, contrasting it with Jamaica, a smaller nation that spent significantly less but won six medals.

“The Paris Olympics 2024 has officially ended, and despite the enormous financial investment, Team Nigeria is returning without a single medal. This situation underscores the ongoing recklessness in our nation’s leadership,” Obi stated.

He criticized the sports administration for mishandling the athletes, citing examples of injured athletes being sent to compete, key athletes being excluded from events, and a Nigerian cyclist borrowing a bicycle from another country to participate.

Obi called for an immediate investigation into the conduct of Nigeria’s Olympic management team to prevent a repeat of such failures in future games.

“We must now scrutinize the connection between our massive investment and our poor results. This situation persists because we continue to prioritize favoritism over competence in Nigeria,” Obi urged.

He concluded by calling on the government to hold those responsible accountable and ensure such mismanagement does not occur in the 2028 Olympics.