Despite not securing any Olympic medals in Paris 2024, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) made enormous strides in national sports development and capacity-building initiatives.
In 2024, the Committee successfully implemented various programmes to enhance the capabilities of athletes, coaches, and sports administrators in Nigeria.
The Movement in Nigeria orchestrated these impactful initiatives by operating with a focused six-member team of project officers. The team comprised:
- Austin Odigie
- Deborah Ijeoma Chidobi (Mrs)
- Oluwakemi Obidaunsi (Mrs)
- Abdulmalik Ibrahim (in charge of the Olympic Project)
- Jesse Galadima (Accountant)
- Dolapo Rofiat (Mrs)
These initiatives were conducted under the supervision of Mr Emmanuel Nweri, the Senior Manager of the Committee.
Key Initiatives
- Women Commission Seminars
The Women’s Commission hosted seminars aimed at empowering women in sports.
These capacity-building seminars were conducted carefully across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
This attracted not less than 346 participants.
- North Central:
At the Nasarawa State University, Keffi featured 48 participants (June 10 – June 11)
-North West
The Federal University, Dutshe, Jigawa featured 52 participants (June 13 -June 14)
-North East
The Flourish Hotel, Gombe, featured 42 participants (June 13 – June 14)
- South West:
The Ogun State Sports Council, Abeokuta, featured 78 participants (June 20 – June 21)
- South South
The Edo State Sports Commission, Benin, had not less than 61 participants (June 24 -June 25)
- South East
The Hilton Leisure Hotel, Awka, had 65 participants (June 26 – June 27)
- Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) Events
The NUGA events focused on the development of university sports. It engaged no fewer than 334 participants through three prominent events:
- Africa Universities Games
Lagos State University hosted the games with 234 participants (Sept 27 – Sept 29)
- An additional event was staged at the Enugu State University, with 35 participants in attendance from Sept 23 to Sept. 25) and Gombe State University drew no fewer than 65 participants, Oct 2 – Oct 4)
- Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) OVEP for Games Masters
The NSSF initiatives cater to the Games Masters and students.
This attracted not less than 250 participants across two significant events:
- SUBEB/NUT, Ogun State:
Not less than 125 participants in the event of Oct 9 – Oct 11). It featured officers from the Plateau State Ministry of Education.
Not less than 125 Sports District Officers featured in the (Oct 15 – Oct 17) event.
Overall Reach and Impact
- Women Commission
- Seminar: 346
- NUGA Events: 334
- NSSF Events: 250
The number of participants across all programmes accounted for no fewer than 930.
This showcased a substantial engagement in sports development efforts in Nigeria:
The geographical scope of these programmes extended through Northern Nigeria (including North Central, North West, and North East) and Southern Nigeria (covering South West, South South, and South East).
This effectively promoted capacity building and strategic development within the sports sector.
These initiatives notably focused on empowering women and enhancing the operational capabilities of educational institutions, considerably contributing to the sports landscape in Nigeria.
Table Tennis level 1 course
A table Tennis course was held from June 8 – June 15, 2024.
The course, a level one course, aimed at improving the basics skills coaches was held at the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
A Jordanian ITTF expert, Mohammed Atoun ran the course.
It featured 40 participants made up of 30 men and 10 women.
They were presented with certificates of participation.
The continental president and Vice President ITTF Africa, Wahid Oshodi and the ATTF CEO, Dr Kweku Tandoh took part in the closing ceremonies. .
Good Governance Seminar
A virtual seminar on good governance for National Sports Federation presidents was organised from June 9 – June 10, 2023.
A Commonwealth Games Federation Leadership Initiative was also held.
On June 25, 2023, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) hosted a one-day “Game Changer on Leadership through Basketball” programme for secondary schools in Mowe, Ogun State.
The vent was a profound one, involving no fewer than 160 students.
Fitness Trainers Seminar
A seminar for fitness trainers was held in Abuja from September 18- Sept 19, 2024, and 36 participants were direct beneficiaries.
Olympic Day Celebration
Nigeria joined the rest of the World to mark Olympic Day.
This was celebrated on June 29, 2024, with participation from not less than 16 states. Approximately 16,000 attendees were recorded nationwide.
Weightlifting Technical Coaching Course.
From July 1 – June 6, 2024, a Weightlifting Technical Coaching Course (Levels 1 & 2) was conducted in Abuja.
The event featured 32 weightlifting coaches who covered the nation’s capital.
The course aimed to enhance the technical skills of the coaches and standardise practices across Nigeria. The Key modules used during the course included:
- Weightlifting fundamentals and advanced techniques
- Athlete safety, injury prevention, and recovery strategies
- Programme design and periodisation
- Rules and regulations of weightlifting competitions
Conclusion
Overall, the initiatives launched by the NOC in 2024 have laid a solid foundation for the future revival of sports development in Nigeria.
By establishing a network of well-trained coaches and empowering women in sports, the NOC has helped to enhance the skills and knowledge of athletes and trainers and contribute positively to the broader vision of sports excellence in the country.
The successful completion of various programmes is a testament to their commitment to fostering growth and improvement within the Nigerian sports community despite not achieving medal success at the Olympic Games.
This initiative will ultimately form the basis for reviving the nation’s commitment toward the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the government of the Grand Patron of the NOC, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This accords with the NOCs vision for our Olympic Dreams ahead of the next LA2028 Games.
