Former Head Coach of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Seigha Porbeni, has attributed the country's poor performance at the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships to funding constraints and leadership inertia. Nigeria finished outside the top three for the first time in over two decades at the event held in Accra, Ghana. The 41-member contingent secured only nine medals, including a single individual gold by Tobi Amusan in the women's 100m hurdles and three relay medals, despite the absence of several top athletes from other African nations.
Diagnosis of the Problems
Speaking on the issues affecting Nigerian athletics, Porbeni stated that the core problem stems from impunity among athletes, leading to silent personality clashes. He noted that standards have been lowered to the point where the country accepts mediocrity. Poor welfare for athletes and coaches, due to a chronic lack of funds and sponsorship, has also diminished their ability to compete with better-funded counterparts.
Welfare and Competition Deficiencies
Porbeni, a former Director of Sports in Delta State and the University of Ibadan, highlighted several specific issues: lack of competitions, poorly organized AFN meets with borrowed timing equipment, insufficient officiating officials, and failure to meet World Athletics standards. Most AFN competitions lack drug testing and rarely offer cash rewards to winners. Coaches invited to camps and international trips often receive their allowances years later, and at reduced rates in naira instead of dollars, while top federation officials are paid promptly.
Call for Autonomy and Funding
To overcome the current mediocrity, Porbeni called for the AFN to become autonomous with its own secretary general answerable only to the president and board. He emphasized the need for aggressive sponsorship drives and a robust annual government budget to ensure steady funding.
