…Tasks stakeholders for improvement
By Saidu Abubakar
Nigeria’s Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu-Ejidike (JP), has described the outgoing year 2024 as a roller coaster of a sort for Nigerian sports, with many ups and downs. This was contained in his End-of-the-year/New-Year press release, which he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, recently.
Ejidike said sports in Nigeria went through a lot of mixed fortunes during the period under review, starting with the AFCON, Cote d’Ivoire 2023, the All African Games – Accra 2023, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the 2026 World and AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
This is not forgetting the FIFA Women’s Under-20, and Under-17 World Cups and also, the resuscitation of the National Sports Commission (NSC), and the consequent appointment of Mallam Shehu Dikko as its Chairman, with Mr. Bukola Olopade as the DG. The business mogul said the resuscitation and the appointment of Dikko as its chairman is a square peg in a square hole, stressing belief that Mallam Dikko is the right man for the job, given his pedigree, global connection, charisma and above all, track record in sports administration and development.
Creating a Sports Economy, as being championed by the Kaduna-born seasoned administrator, is the way to go. If Nigeria is to reap the rewards of its investment and endowmebts in sports, added Ejidike
Also worthy of note is the revolving managerial door of the Men’s Senior National Football team – Super Eagles, among other events that shaped the year 2024, the highest points of which were the 2nd-placed finish at the AFCON. Ademola Lookman’s emergence as the African Footballer of the Year, alongside Chiamaka Nnadozie retaining her crown as the CAF best Woman Goalkeeper of the Year capped the events that made 2024 what it turned out to be – a mixed fortunes.
Ejidike, a former President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN), is of the opinion that, we, as a people and Nigeria as a nation, have a lot to learn from the mistakes and something to consolidate upon in the successes recurded.
Part of the mistakes he highlighted were the shame, to which the ineptitudeness of some sports’ federations’ officials subjected Nigeria to in Paris at the Olympics; the lackadaisical approach to the early match-days in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers that leaves the country rooted close to the bottom of the table in our group; how the rein of coach Finidi George was mismanaged that it generated more negative PR than on-field success; the failure of world record holder in female 100 meters hurdle, Tobiloba Amusan, to live up to her rating at the Olympic Games and the perennial early elimination of Nigerian representatives in CAF club competitions.
These, according to the Nnewi-born sports philanthropist, are things that must never be allowed to repeat themselves, while he calling for a forensic probe with a view to flushing out of the system, anyone found culpable.
The Pillar of Sports also highlighted the reported probe of the finances of some Sports Federations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
But it is not all gloom and doom as there were a couple of moments of glory to look back on. He cited the silver medal feat at the AFCON 2023, given the fact that most Nigerians never gave the team much chance going into the competition. As a matter of fact, Nigeria presented its weakest team in recent years, but against all odds, they went all the way to lose the final 2-1 to the hosts, who themselves never had an ideal start in the tournament, in front of their home fans.
He also referenced the emergence of the Super Falcons as CAF’s Best Female National Team of the Year, against all odds, as being a part of the positives from the turbulence of the year 2024.
Another icing on the year-2024 cake was the qualification of the Super Eagles team-B for the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) for the first time in six years. Ejidike noted that, Nigeria did not only qualify, but also did it at the expense of our eternal footballing rivals, Ghana, courtesy of an emphatic 3-1 aggregate win at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo recently. He described it as another positive from the year 2024.
Ejidike also congratulated the reigning African Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, for his top level performances all through the year, for country and club, saying that, gloomy as the outgoing year was, he gave Nigerians something to celebrate. His achievement in the UEFA Europa League final, his emergence as the 14th best player in the world, per Balon d’Or, as well as the ultimate one – CAF, African Footballer of the Year, not mentioning how his goals at crucial moments lifted the national team. He encouraged the England-born winger never to relent in his efforts, saying he has all it takes to be the best, not only in Africa but also in the world.
The Pillar of Sports also had some words of praises for the coach of the National Female Basketball team, D’Tigress, Rena Wakama for her outstanding performance at the Olympics in Paris, as well as on the continents of Africa. He called for more support for the Rivers State-born tactician so that she can surpass the achievements of the outgoing year.
Ejidike called on stakeholders to learn the appropriate lessons from the roller coaster experience of year 2024 by trying to improve on how things are done, saying, the reward would be immeasurable in the years ahead.
He placed a particular emphasis on the domestic league, the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) calling for its improvement on some of the positives recorded so far, like in the area of officiating and also ensure that sponsorship and the issue of television broadcast sorted out, latest by the end of the ongoing season.
He further urged administrators to always ensure timely and adequate preparation of athletes ahead of any competition, adding that “failure to prepare is preparation to fail. He would not also leave out the issue of a substantive manager for the Super Eagles, as Nigerians are eager to know which direction the team would be headed in the light of the forthcoming assignments.
Agu-Ejidike who is also the patron of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC) would not finish his end-of-the-year press release without a mention of the colossal loss, suffered by the Office of the Nigeria’s Pillar of Sports (ONPS) through the untimely death of one of the members, Nze Igiri Joseph, who lived, ate, drank and breathed grassroots sports development. Igiri was one time, Chairman of the Igbo Traders Football Association (ITFA) Kwara State chapter, and immediate past Welfare Officer of an Ilorin-based, Nigerian Nationwide League (NNL) side, ABS Ilorin FC. Igiri died on the 20th of December, 2024, as a result of a protracted illness.
The Pillar of Sports described the death of the Igiri, popularly known as “Igiri Network” (due to his excellent interpersonal skills) as a personal loss to him, due to his trust-worthiness and unwavering dedication to any course he believed in.
Ejidike prayed for, the reposed of his soul, also for the Lord Almighty to grant the immediate family he left behind, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
In conclusion, the Pillar of Sports wished Nigerians, especially sports lovers and critical stakeholders, a happy and prosperous 2025.