Paris Olympics AFN disaster: Favour Ofili to be compensated with $5,000 following Investigative Committee report

Favour Ofili (Credit: Imago)

Paris Olympics AFN disaster: Favour Ofili to be compensated with $5,000 following Investigative Committee report

Funmilayo Fameso 16:51 - 04.11.2024

Two months after the Paris Olympic Games, newly appointed Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Shehu Dikko has approved the Investigative Committee report on Favour Ofili / AFN's disappointing saga and she's to be compensated with N8,000,000.

Nigerian sprint queen Favour Ofili will be compensated with $5,000 following the Investigative Committee report of the Paris Olympics AFN disaster of not being entered in the 100m event.

Ofili made global news headlines after her online outburst of demanding answers from the AFN and NOC's failure to enter her in the 100m event despite hitting the qualifying standard.

Favour Ofili was omitted from the 100m event at Paris 2024 Olympics (Credit: Instagram/@ofili.fa)

Her post on her social media platforms went viral as several prominent world figures and athletes campaigned on her behalf on the inefficiency of the AFN and NOC to have nailed her Olympic dreams for the second consecutive time.

Following her public outcry, Nigeria's then Minister of Sports, John Enoh moved to action on the issue, ordering an investigative panel to be set up on the issue with assurances actions would be taken and whoever was responsible would be brought to books.

Approval of the Investigative Committee Report

Two months after the Paris Games, newly appointed Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Shehu Dikko approved the Investigative Committee report on the Negative Exposures on Nigeria at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games inaugurated by the former minister of sports development, Senator John Owan Enoh, to publish its report.

The committee had presented its report to Senator Enoh in his office on Tuesday, 22 October, 2024 in the presence of the erstwhile permanent secretary of the former ministry, Mrs. Atinuke Watti.

Senator Enoh had fixed the public presentation of the committee’s report for Friday, 25 October, 2024 but decided to step it down following his reassignment to another ministry by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Summary of resolutions taken by the Investigative Committee

  • Conflicting evidence showed that Ofili's omission from the women's 100m event is traceable to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), World Athletics (WA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
  • The Secretary General of the AFN Rita Mosindi was negligent in her duty of communicating to the Ministry of Sports Development and NOC about Ofili's preferred choice of event.
  • The Technical Director of the AFN Samuel Onikeku demonstrated poor judgment by not reporting nor acting on information about the non-registration of Ofili and should be sanctioned by the AFN of which he's a board member.
  • The AFN should pay Ofili $5,000 = N8,000,000 for the disappointment and depression she felt on account of her omission from the women's 100m event at the Paris Olympics.
Favour Ofili || Image credit: Imago

Meanwhile, despite the disappointment, Ofili competed in the 200m and got to the final to become Nigeria's first finalist in the event since 1996. Although she finished sixth, the 21-year-old already registered her mental strength and resilience in the hearts of Nigerians and is now a media sweetheart.

Tags: