Nigeria’s athletics resurgence must be backed by better support, technical development – Olopade

Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has described Nigeria’s performance at the 2026 World U-20 Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States, as “satisfactory,” while calling for urgent improvements in technical preparation, athlete orientation and welfare.

Olopade, a former Commissioner for Sports in Ogun State, said the championship provided Nigeria with valuable lessons that must be used to strengthen the country’s athletics development programme.

Speaking shortly after the championships, he stressed that developmental competitions are part of a learning process for countries still building their sports systems.

“Overall, it was satisfactory. You must always understand that developmental events of this nature for countries like Nigeria and other countries that are not there yet have to be a learning curve,” Olopade said.

“We come here, make our mistakes, learn from them and correct them. Not just make mistakes and go back and make the same mistake.”

The NSC boss said his presence in Oregon enabled him to identify several areas where the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) needs to improve, particularly in technical engagement between athletes and officials, athlete orientation and personal welfare.

“I’m particularly glad I came here for this meet because I’ve seen so many things that AFN needs to quickly work on technical engagement between officials and athletes, orientation for athletes and also the personal care that young athletes demand,” he said.

Olopade cited the experience of Lucy, who was disqualified for a false start, as an example of the emotional support young athletes require at major championships.

He said such moments could be overwhelming for young athletes and noted that even established stars had experienced similar setbacks.

According to him, Nigeria must create an environment where athletes understand that mistakes are part of development and can recover from disappointing moments without losing confidence.

Despite the areas requiring improvement, Olopade believes Nigerian athletics is experiencing a significant resurgence, pointing to the performances of several young athletes at the championship.

“There’s a resurgence in our Nigerian athletes without a doubt,” he said.

He highlighted the performances of Miracle Ezechukwu, Jessica Oji, Kanyinsola Ajayi, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Favour Asher, Samuel Ogazi and Tobi Amusan, describing their emergence as evidence that “something new, something good is happening” in Nigerian athletics.

Olopade, however, cautioned that Nigeria must not allow the encouraging performances to mask the weaknesses that still exist.

“We’re not there. A lot of failures that must be corrected quickly also,” he said, adding that Nigeria still has “a long way to go” technically.

He particularly called for greater investment in coaches, describing Nigerian grassroots coaches as among the best anywhere but insisting that they require stronger institutional support.

“Our coaches are the best coaches, I keep saying it, the best grassroots coaches you can ever find anywhere. But they need help, and we need to support them,” Olopade said.

He assured that the NSC would provide the necessary support to strengthen coaching and athlete development.

On how the Commission plans to support emerging stars such as Nathaniel and Ogazi to reach the highest level, Olopade said the NSC had already commenced financial and interpersonal support through training grants and direct engagement.

He said his interactions with Nigerian athletes based in the United States exposed some worrying welfare challenges, including difficulties with accommodation and feeding.

“I was shocked to hear an athlete say to me, ‘Sir, I’ve not eaten for days.’ And we took care of that,” he revealed.

Olopade stressed that athlete welfare must extend beyond rewards after victories, insisting that athletes need continuous support while preparing and competing.

“Part of doing more is the engagement and, of course, financial support across sports, not just when they win alone,” he said.

He also said the NSC would maintain direct communication with Nigerian athletes wherever they are in the world, assuring them that they could reach out whenever they needed assistance.

“You know, I’ve said to all of them, they can call me anytime, tell us what you need, not only in athletics, wherever you are representing Nigeria,” he said.

Olopade further linked the Commission’s approach to the broader mandate of President Bola Tinubu, saying the government was committed to ensuring that Nigerian athletes have the financial, mental and performance support required to compete at the highest level.

He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s ability to overcome its present challenges, citing the resilience of Nigerian athletes and the renewed interest in the country’s athletics programme.

“We are Nigerians, our resilience level is the highest in the world, and we will bounce back,” Olopade said.