, Dan Ngerem, has shed light on the growing exodus of Nigerian athletes){kind=link}
Former President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Dan Ngerem, has shed light on the growing exodus of Nigerian athletes switching national allegiance, attributing the troubling trend to poor welfare, systemic neglect, and chronic mismanagement within the country’s sports administration.
Speaking recently in an interview on a national television, Ngerem reacted to reports that Nigerian sprint star Favour Ofili is considering a switch to represent Turkey on the international stage. He expressed concern over the increasing number of top Nigerian talents seeking better opportunities abroad, describing it as a direct consequence of Nigeria’s failure to sustain support for athletes beyond the grassroots level.
“It’s extremely difficult and resource-intensive to train an athlete to elite level,” Ngerem said. “We often begin the journey from primary school, and Nigeria does invest considerably in discovering and nurturing these athletes. But the real problem lies in how we manage them afterward. Most of the funding goes into competitions, and even that is often done in a disorganized, last-minute manner.”
Ngerem emphasized that while there is a foundational structure for early-stage development, the country lacks a clear, strategic pathway for helping athletes transition into professional, world-class competitors.
“There’s a major disconnect between identifying talent and ensuring they mature into medal-winning athletes for Nigeria,” he added. “At that crucial point when they need the most support—financial, psychological, nutritional, and infrastructural—they are often left on their own. That’s when foreign countries swoop in with better offers and structured systems.”
The former AFN boss urged sports authorities to rethink their approach by adopting a more long-term, athlete-centered model—one that emphasizes continuity, proper planning, and consistent investment in athletes’ welfare, rather than one-off appearances at major tournaments.
“The success of any nation in global athletics doesn’t just depend on raw talent—it’s about how well that talent is nurtured, retained, and protected,” Ngerem concluded.