January 14, (THEWILL) – A long overdue shift in strategic direction seems to be taking shape in Nigerian sports administration. An impactful air of change appears to be unmistakably blowing through the halls of power after Senator John Enoh, Minister of Sports Development, gathered an impressive assembly of presidents from Nigeria’s national sports federations in Abuja on January 11.
In calling this urgently needed high-level congress, Senator Enoh has set pivotal events in motion that could redefine how Nigeria approaches and performs at upcoming major competitions like the 2024 Africa Games. This was a watershed opportunity to synchronise plans, bolster collaboration between the previously disjointed federations and catalyse impactful collective action.
There have been no shortage of frustration over the chronic shortcomings of disunified, personality-driven sports governance in our nation in the past. However, finally, the winds seem to be changing direction. Now, a cloud of optimism is hanging over the segment and there are a handful of reasons why this could prove a turning point on the road to restored national sporting glory.
Goal setting is foundational to any achievement, whether in business, politics or sports. Yet, all too often, Nigeria steps into major competitions without clearly defined targets underpinning a shared national ambition across public, athletes, coaches and our sports administrators alike.
Currently, the landscape already looks different in the wake of this congress. Senator Enoh has unambiguously signalled that shared podium ambitions at the 2024 Africa Games and beyond will shape all preparation decisions. No longer can we accept excuse-laden losses blamed nebulously on “inadequate preparation”. Future preparation shortfalls will be measured against tangible medal expectations.
With a definitive top-level ambition now established, decision-making on resourcing, coaching appointments, training camps, and athlete selections should become more focused. Politicking around player and technical team selections, which ex-head coach of the Super Eagles Gernot Roche alluded to have been in play during his tenure at the helm of the senior men’s national football team under Amaju Pinnick’s administration at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), should be reduced. If this occurs, sports enthusiasts across the country will need no convincing to rally behind the country’s sportsmen and women, as they always do.
Furthermore, by very publicly convening this crisis meeting – and signalling his leadership’s intent to sustain engagement through regular collective check-ins – Senator Enoh has firmly embedded expectations of collaboration and mutual accountability across the previously siloed Sports Federations. What the Sports Minister has now done is to tether each Federation President together like crewmates on a racing boat. If one fails to pull their weight in preparation commitments made at this congress, their peers will know. Also, Senator Enoh will know. This tight collective accountability should galvanise unprecedented levels of lateral teamwork.
This gives a peripheral belief that the days when these presidents can retreat narrowly into their own sporting silos oblivious to developments or regression in the ambit of their colleagues. Their peers now expect tangible progress reports at each check-in towards stated medal projections. This rising collaborative tide is aimed at lifting all boats. This drive is billed to become a standard and not just in the lead up to the All Africa Games in Ghana alone, but hopefully for years to come.
For too long, the administrator culture in Nigerian sport has been infected by varying degrees of nepotism, self-interest and corruption when it comes to critical issues like fielding athletes for track and field competitions and for player selections to national teams. Allegations that the NFF had a quota system for players from different regions or clubs, or that they received kickbacks from agents or sponsors for including certain players, have plagued that Federation for ages.
Under Senator Enoh’s assertive reformist zeal, an altogether different culture centred on meritocracy, accountability and transparency appears to be taking shape. This will undoubtedly filter down to tangible impacts on athletes fielded to represent and players selected to don the country’s green and white jerseys, if properly sustained.
Those presidents and coaches that resist this cultural reset or pay it lip service will soon stand out glaringly without tangible progress to report. By calling this congress, Senator Enoh has left the Federations in no doubt that the time to modernise approaches both on and off the field of play has arrived.
No Nigerian sports minister in two generations has been able to move the needle on the chronic underfunding debacle that has stunted sporting ambitions locally. Senator Enoh desires to advance beyond that impediment. Coming across as an administrator with the political clout, high-level finance committee experience and fierce personal determination to shake up the status quo, he made it clear to the sports federation presidents that the issue of funding was a matter of priority for his administration as sports minister.
Now, with a unified cohort of sports federations behind him, Senator Enoh has amplified calls for action on far greater budgetary allocation. Backed by the momentum of this rare collaborative preparation congress, this collective voice will be difficult for the government to downplay or ignore publicly.
With shared ambition established and unprecedented collaboration now embedded, this cross-federation position holds real influence – both the political capital and administrative progress to justify demanding far greater resource allocation.
Unlike the hollow talk shops of the past, Senator Enoh has convened an incisive action congress with embedded cross-federation accountability through regular future check-ins. This ensures continuous engagement on preparation commitments towards the 2024 Games rather than being just more empty bureaucratic rhetoric and salutary talks devoid of follow through.
Importantly, it also provides an invaluable structural template for cross-Federation collaboration and peer accountability that can be evaluated, strengthened and replicated ahead of future competitions. A platform is now established for continuous improvement cycles geared towards restoring Nigerian sports to glory the nation can be proud of.
Genuine high-performance sporting culture is sculpted over years upon layers of communal effort, transparency, biting off achievable milestones and relentless accountability. By assertively convening this crucial congress, Senator John Enoh has put in place the structural, cultural and psychological foundations for a restoration of Nigerian sports.
Of course, progress relies entirely on sustained buy-in across Federations over months to come. Allegations that the NFF had a culture of a quota system for players from different regions or clubs, or that they received kickbacks from agents or sponsors for including certain players, are not practices that can be uprooted overnight. Still, the winds of positive change are unmistakably in the air. Come the Opening Ceremony in Accra on March 8, 2024, the hope is that Nigeria can enter the Africa Games with unified intent, clear expectations, accountable preparation, and coaching teams empowered to deliver podium results.
The performances may yet surprise us all and catalyse a restoration of national pride in the green-white-green. However first, our sports leaders must stay the course charted at this pivotal congress. That responsibility lies squarely with Senator John Enoh and his team more than any other.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
