Olympic Games: Nigeria's Negation Of Its Potentials

Nigerian contingent at the 2016 Rio Olympics

The Olympic Games are probably midway by now and many countries are participating in the prestigious event. As in previous years; the Olympics is dominated by those that are well prepared, especially countries with the economic and socio-political power base to sustain a sporting culture that accentuates pride in nationhood. Despite a few outliers, the medal table usually shows a gradation of nations from the most, to the least developed. In today's world, the "first", "second" and "third worlds" are firmly in their places, even in sports.

Nigeria, despite its great potential, has only managed to have a rather rudimentary sports culture. The country only gets "serious" when there is something "international" coming up. The seriousness usually comes late and preparations are pitiable so that you wonder how our sportsmen and women manage to perform some of their feats. Some of these men and women who manage to let their lights shine against all odds are true heroes of this country.

In climes that are more serious, the sports industry is part of national identity. Attendance at sporting events is not the only goal, because wins over "rivals" goes beyond the field of sports, and becomes social, political, economic and even racial superiority contests. During the 1980 Olympics for example, the US and its allies who were mostly members of NATO, boycotted the Moscow Olympiad because the Soviet Union (as Russia was known then) was conducting a war in Afghanistan! The USSR, in concert with its allies retaliated by boycotting the summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, USA, four years later.  Today, the Soviet Union has collapsed and the US is having its own Afghanistan moment! The race to dominate the medals table by the superpowers and their satellites continues to this day, despite the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

About two weeks ago, we got a new "German technical adviser" to head the national football coaching team with qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Moscow starting in about three months. After starting preparation so late, how do we compete with nations that take training and coaching far more seriously? Countries should implement changes in coaching strategies or coach replacements even in "peace" times when there are no major tournaments. We view sports as events instead of an integral part of our culture that needs nurturing as forms of national identity.  

Kenyans and Ethiopians are renowned as unbeatable long distance runners despite political and economic instabilities in their respective countries. Jamaicans are known for their men and women sprinters. This is possible because these countries have embraced their uniqueness and nurtured it as a national treasure. They have academies dedicated to training youths to develop their athletic abilities during the formative years. They have also managed something Nigerians have failed to do, namely; to keep sport talents at home. Usain Bolt, despite his fame and riches, lives in Kingston, Jamaica, instead of Beverley Hills, California. He insists on filming his commercials (when asked by companies) in Jamaica, thereby creating sport enthusiasm and work for the local youths. With a population of over 170 million, our potentials in sports are limitless. We hear of Nigerians entering international sporting events for Spain, France, England and winning for these countries because Nigeria has been a bad mother to her children. 

It is not enough to qualify for world events or send representatives in order to fill space and boost the egos of a few. The sporting industry is a serious business and if handled well could employ millions of Nigerians, both directly and indirectly. We need to harness the power of Africa's innate athleticism instead of putting a price on it and selling cheaply to the world. Generally, we appear content with playing second fiddle to everybody else. We seem contented with mediocrity and planlessness while systematically destroying the will and excellence of our youths. A few who manage to escape our debilitating environment become stars outside our shores and then we pay heavily to get them back.

It is my prediction that the Olympics would go the way of past ones for Nigeria: we might gain a medal or two at best, or none at all and then we come home thinking it was a great outing to have gotten to the semis or quarter finals of most of the events, or start the usual blame games (we do have a lot of medals for that). We enjoy celebrating instead of deliberating. There is no purpose or deliberate preparation for most of our international engagements, whether in sports or anything else. Getting our soccer team prepared and safely delivered to Brazil for their matches became a national disgrace and an international fiasco. But to their credit, the boys have been doing well so far. It is better imagined, what those boys could achieve if they were from a country that builds its youths instead of eating them. We however seem very good at encouraging non-productive ventures such as Hajj Pilgrimage. For example, a presidential directive to the Central Bank was recently issued to secure a subsidized Naira/Dollar exchange rate for pilgrims, while our industries lie prostrate waiting for the same relief.

There are probably laws enacted to encourage sports at local and federal government levels in Nigeria, but these laws are hardly implemented or judged to be of national importance. Corruption, incompetence and lack of patriotism are the norms in most sporting bodies. Secondary and tertiary institutions that should be bastions of sport talents are for the most part mediocre and ill equipped. Some secondary schools are so bad that they may fail certification as animal pens in some countries. Tertiary institutions are just a shade better, with murderous cults taking over what should be a peaceful environment for personal development.

The new body language of PMB is economic diversification; maybe it is time get serious about sports, as a bona fide industry needing revival. A Nigerian sportsman noted recently that the preparation for this year's Olympics was the worst he has seen. This is not surprising because the president comes from a part of the country where sporting events consists mainly of being entertained as potentates not as participants. In order to nurture the sporting culture of this country, men and women of goodwill (getting fewer these days) must push for what is right and stop relying on ad hoc preparations and representations before a world that to all intents and purpose has condemned us to perpetual mediocrity.