Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party has expressed deep dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s failure to secure a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite a significant financial investment of approximately N12 billion.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Obi attributed the poor performance of Team Nigeria to what he described as “reckless” and “rascally” leadership across various sectors in the country.
Obi criticized the country’s leadership for prioritizing “routine and favouritism” over “competence and capacity,” alleging that some athletes who were unfit to compete were still taken to Paris to collect allowances.
He highlighted the contrast between Nigeria and Jamaica, noting that Jamaica spent less than 5% of Nigeria’s budget and managed to win six medals at the Olympics.
Obi pointed out that nine African countries won gold medals, while Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people, returned home without even a bronze.
Obi stated, “How can one explain that a country like Jamaica spent less than 5 per cent of what we spent on our contingents for the Paris Olympics 2024 and won as many as six medals?” Mr Obi questioned.
“At least nine African countries won gold, but the giant, with over 200 million people, came home without even a bronze! We invested about N12 billion in this year’s Olympics, which is almost twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology for this year,” he added.
He further condemned the pervasive “rascality and recklessness” in Nigerian leadership, asserting that the country is perceived as a “joke” on the international stage.
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