Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has outlined key lessons for Nigeria following its disappointing performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In a series of tweets on his official X handle on Monday, the former Anambra State governor reflected on the country’s lack of medals and highlighted some positive outcomes despite the overall poor showing.
Obi emphasized the need for Nigeria to address its political leadership issues, which he believes are detrimental to the nation’s progress.
He stated, “Despite Nigeria’s disastrous outing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, we should not overlook the valuable lessons from this global sports event.
Although Nigeria did not secure a single medal while nine other African nations did, there were notable achievements by Nigerians competing for other countries.”
Obi praised individual successes, including Yemisi Ogunleye, who won gold for Germany, Annette Echikunwoke, who secured gold for the USA, and Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu, who earned silver for Bahrain.
He also commended Rena Wakama, the Nigerian-American head coach of the D’Tigress, who was named the best coach of the Olympics for guiding the team to the quarterfinals.
“These accomplishments highlight that Nigerians can excel on the global stage when given the right support and environment,” Obi noted.
“This should serve as a wake-up call to address the corrupt political leadership that continues to hinder our progress.”
In response to the disappointing results, the Sports Ministry announced it would begin preparations for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The ministry expressed determination to improve Nigeria’s performance and restore its sporting prestige.
“The journey in Paris has motivated us to start preparations for the next Olympics immediately, with the goal of proving our status as the giant of Africa,” said Kehinde Ajayi, spokesperson for the Sports Ministry.
