Nigeria’s Comeback at the 2024 Paralympics

Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, sent 88 of its strongest athletes to Paris earlier this summer with the hopes that they would return home with at least a few medals in hand. But Nigeria won no medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic games across the 12 sporting events the team participated in. This came as a disappointment to the athletes’ many supporters prompting Nigerian sports minister, John Enoh, to issue a public apology for the administrative obstacles that contributed to this year’s performance. The Nigerian government had approved a whopping 12B Naira (equivalent to over 7.4 million USD) in preparation for both the Olympic and Paralympic events. 

While no athlete representing Nigeria managed to snag a medal at the Olympics this year, several athletes of Nigerian descent won medals. Yemisi Ogunleye who won gold in shot put for Germany as well as Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser and the United States’ Annette Echikunwoke, who brought home silver medals in women’s 400m and hammer throw respectively, are just a few examples. 

Nigeria’s sports minister, in anticipation of the Paralympics which began on August 28th, expressed his hope that they would redeem the country saying, “I have no doubt that [The Paralympians] will make us proud again in Paris. We are all behind them, and we are confident that they will exceed expectations and bring home numerous medals.” Nigeria competed in 4 events for the Paralympics: badminton, athletics, powerlifting and table tennis with 24 athletes representing the country.

As the games came to an end on September 8th, Nigeria won seven total medals at the Paralympics, two of which were gold. The winnings were kicked off with 18-year-old Mariam Eniola Bolaji scoring a bronze medal in badminton that is also the first badminton medal won by an African athlete in both the Paralympics and Olympic games. 

Nigeria’s women Paralympian powerlifters demonstrated their immense strength coming home with 4 medals in the sport. The country’s two gold medalists are Folashade Oluwafemiayo who became the first female para-athlete ever to lift 166kg (366 lb.) and Onyinyechi Mark, who lifted 150kg (331 lb.) breaking another world record in the sport. Paralympic powerlifter Ester Nworgu also earned a well-deserved silver medal in Paris after dislocating her shoulder prior to the event. Bose Omolayo won her third consecutive medal at the Paralympics with a silver in women’s up to 79kg powerlifting. Flora Ugwunwa impressively earned a silver medal in women’s javelin throw which was also her third consecutive Paralympic medal in the sport.

While they did not collect any medals at this year’s event, Nigeria’s para table tennis couple, Christiana and Kayode Alabi, who met through the sport in 2017, brought even more attention to the event by sharing their heartwarming love story on the BBC. One of the country’s other paralympic table tennis players,  Isau Ogunkunle,  successfully scored a bronze medal for Nigeria. 

Nigeria’s Paralympians have already provided a well-needed morale-boost for a country in the midst of an economic crisis. As the games have come to an end, it is safe to say that the Paralympics have indeed redeemed the country’s athletic performance on the international stage and affirmed the organization’s goal to empower persons with disabilities (PWDs) worldwide, including in Nigeria where less than 1% of PWDs are employed. 

Still, widespread disappointment over the sports ministry’s unsatisfactory handling of the event cannot be swept under the rug. While Nigeria’s athletes, both Paralympians and Olympians, have demonstrated their strength and tenacity, the sports ministry’s administrative negligence continues to be a setback for many athletes. Athletes have repeatedly expressed concerns over corruption and mismanagement in the ministry, and incidents such as the failure to register eligible athletes or provide adequate equipment to Olympians this year have fueled outrage towards administrators. Even more concerning is the question of where the money is going if not towards the athletes. The Paralympians have shown the world Nigeria’s athletic prowess; however, now that the Paris Games have highlighted the need for institutional reform at the Ministry of Sports, it is imperative that government funds are put to better use and transparency is prioritized so we see a change in Los Angeles in 2028. 

Fadima Tall is an Intern with the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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Fadima Tall

Fadima Tall

Africa Program Intern