Prominent politician Peter Obi has said that the primary reason why Nigeria failed to win any medals at this year’s Olympics is because of poor leadership, News About Nigeria reports.
However, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election noted that though Nigeria did not win a single medal at the 2024 Olympics, the nation was still noticed at the event.
Speaking in a statement shared on his official X account on Monday, the former Anambra state governor noted that Nigeria’s loss and the win of some Nigerians who played for other countries revealed the nation’s challenges.
Giving details on this claim, Obi stated that the four Nigerians who came out shining at the Olympics did so because they operated in better environments where talents are recognised and the nations take them seriously.
The LP Chieftain, therefore, noted the primary challenge that led to the failure of the athletes was the right environment (nation) primarily because of poor leadership in Nigeria.
The statement titled, ‘The loud message from the 2024 Olympics,’ reads “After I lamented Nigeria’s disastrous outing in the 2024 Paris Olympics yesterday, I would like Nigerians not to ignore the powerful message from the global sports event. While the giant of Africa finished without a single medal, where nine African countries won medals, Nigeria still registered some positives at the global event in a way that brought out glaringly our challenges. Four Nigerians came out shining at the Olympics because they operated in better environments where talents are recognized and nations take themselves seriously.
“Yemisi Ogunleye won gold for Germany. Annette Echikunwoke, frustrated out of Nigeria, won gold for the United States of America, and Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu who already an athletic potential at the age of 15 in Port Harcourt, River state before changing nationality and religion, won silver medals for Bahrain and lastly the 32-year-old Nigerian American head coach of Nigeria’s female basketball team the D’Tigress, Rena Wakama, was named the best coach at the Olympics for guiding Nigeria team to the quarterfinals. Her incredible leadership and strategic prowess were noticed.
“At various times, Nigerians continue to showcase their talents and prove that with the right environment and the right leadership, they can surmount all obstacles. This message should challenge us to realize that our poor political leadership will continue to harm us irretrievably until we dismantle the corrupt system and enthrone a new Nigeria that is possible,” he added.
