A former technical director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Omatseye Nesiama has fingered the presence of unqualified officials in charge of high-level competitions as a major obstacle in the country’s global progression.
Sports247 reports that the retired military officer also opined that Nigeria’s inability to host major international competitions is because the country’s coaches, officials and technical staff have not imbibed global high standards.
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Nesiama’s verdict is contained in a special survey about the current talent growth, technical development, organization, administration and infrastructure seen in Nigeria, compared with other countries across Africa and the world.
In his reaction, Nesiama floored the Nigerian situation when compared to global standards, where officials must have World Athletics-approved National Athletics Referee (NAR) certification as a non-negotiable benchmark for credibility.
According to him, officials of meetings in well-organised African countries and the developed world demonstrate discipline and professionalism, thereby ensuring that events run strictly within broadcast windows while deploying only certified hands.
His concerns echo a growing sentiment among stakeholders, who not that, while Nigerian athletes continue to shine individually, the domestic system underpinning the sport remains weak in technical administration and coaching quality.
Stakeholders are also urging the National Sports Commission (NSC) to institute a thorough overhaul of the technical arms of national federations, by enforcing strict certification standard as well as removing unqualified coaches and officials.
“In most cases, we run high-level competitions with unqualified officials. It is shameful,” Nesiama submitted, while warning that lapses in organizational aspects continue to rob Nigeria of opportunities to host major athletics events.
