Paris Olympics: FG panel reveals Nigerian officials were responsible for non-registration of athlete Ofili

An investigative committee commissioned by the federal government has named officials within the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) whose actions led to Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili’s exclusion from the women’s 100-meter event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

The panel, established by former Minister of Sports Development John Enoh in September, was charged with investigating Nigeria’s issues at the Olympics and Paralympics.

Nigeria’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics was disappointing, with Team Nigeria leaving the Games without any medals. Alongside this, a series of controversies plagued the Nigerian contingent. Ofili, despite qualifying, was left out of the women’s 100-meter race. Additionally, Nigerian cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye disclosed that she had to borrow a track bike from the German team to compete in the Keirin event, sparking further debate.

On Monday, November 4, the committee, led by chairman Mumini Alao, released its findings. The report indicated that “conflicting evidence” traced Ofili’s omission to potential errors across multiple organizations, including the AFN, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), World Athletics (WA), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Specifically, the report identified AFN Secretary General Rita Mosindi, stating she failed in her duty to communicate timely information about Ofili’s status to the Ministry of Sports Development and the NOC.

The report also criticized AFN Technical Director Samuel Onikeku for “poor judgment” in not addressing rumors of Ofili’s non-registration when he initially received them, suggesting her inclusion might have been salvaged had he acted promptly.

The panel recommended financial compensation for Ofili, proposing that the AFN pay her N8 million for the distress caused by her omission. The report also urged that Onikeku and Mosindi face penalties from relevant authorities. Additionally, it advised that Ukpeseraye issue a formal apology to the Nigeria Cycling Federation for posting about her equipment issue on social media without authorization, which the committee deemed embarrassing for the federation.

The report was formally submitted to the Ministry of Sports on October 22, just days before President Bola Tinubu disbanded the ministry and re-established the National Sports Commission (NSC). Enoh handed the report over to the new NSC chair, Shehu Dikko, on October 30.