NIGERIA'S OLYMPIC FAILURE - What really went wrong

London 2012 so far has been the worst Olympic games for Nigeria. Tongues are waging about what could be the cause of such a poor performance. I turned to twitter thinking that I would find the answer. No luck. I found Team Nigeria 2012 but nothing much is going on there. So, what went wrong for the Nigerian team?

Let's begin with Great Britain. With a population of a mere 67 million people, Team GB has been able to exceed its targets winning a massive 48 medals with 22 gold. Team USA with about 253 million people has won 71 medals. Nigeria, who boasts of being the most populous country in Africa with a population of 150 million people has not won a single medal. Let's do the maths.

News coming from the games village tells a new story. "Nigerian Athletes grumble over $100 per day allowance”.  Reports from the Games Village reveal that that Team Nigeria has been rocked by crisis as the athletes have spent the last twelve days ‘grumbling over what they described as total neglect by the officials.’ 

While other athletes were well prepared for the competitions, Nigerian athletes have been busy struggling with their welfare. Witnesses say the athletes are being paid £80 per day as allowance while their officials are lodged in various five star hotels in highbrow areas of London. Furthermore, unlike other teams Team Nigeria lacks the necessary personnel such as psychologists, sports and catering assistants, medical doctors, coaches and physical trainers needed to care for them.  Corruption is therefore the number one reason why Nigeria has failed at the Olympics this year. 

Apart from corruption, these are the other reasons for Nigeria's Olympic failure...

 Political instability and unrest
Nigeria is one of the most volatile countries in recent times. The problems in the country range from terrorism by the Boko Haram sect to lack of good leadership. In a country where security is paramount and where eating a three square meal is a struggle, how can the youths even think of training for the Olympics? No security, no food = no sports training.
Lack of a good transport system etc
There is no incentive to travel to sports venues for practice. Nigeria does not have adequate infrastructure for hospitals, good schools, adequate roads, and housing. If there is no constant water and electricity supply for every household, then sports comes to the bottom of the pile. In England for instance, children get picked up and dropped off in coaches for training at local fully equipped sports centres all for free.
Lack of financial rewards & sponsorships
There is little financial reward for Nigerian Olympians. Those representing the USA  in the 2012 Olympics get paid £75, 000 for each gold medal they win including TV and modelling deals (one of America’s top sports earners Tiger Woods, takes home $59.4 million each year).  In addition, there are lots of sponsorships deals from local businesses and sports companies. British Olympians not only get gifts like cars for competing (in Beijing they were given an Alfa Romeo of their choice each), they get a cash price of £20,000 from the UK Athletes Committee for a gold medal, £15 for silver and £10 for bronze . They also get modelling contracts, sponsorships and advertisement deals from international sports and fashion businesses. The Brazilians get £40,000, 20% of which goes to the coach. Nigerian Olympians, on the other hand receive a mere  £600 per week for attending the games.
Lack of moral support
In British schools, sports is part of the curriculum and compulsory for all right from nursery school to 6th form. Sports are taken as seriously as all other subjects. There are inter-school competitions all year round to identity talented teenagers who can be given extra coaching programmes for the next Olympics. No sport is left out - from BMX cycling to rugby. Everyone supports a child who shows promise from parents to school teachers. For most Nigerian athletes, there is no support from the government, sports industries or even the family. Being an athlete in Nigeria is not an easy task.
Inadequate equipment and sports kits
Probably due to financial constraints, the Team Nigerian kit has not been the best out there. Back in the country, the situation is not any better. Athletes do not have the right kit to wear and some even train without the correct shoes which cause injuries. They make do with makeshift equipment. There are not enough Olympic standard sports centres, stadiums or swimming pools for promising youngsters to practice in. Even where there are centres, there is often no electricity.  In countries like USA, France and Italy for example, fashion designers compete for the top spot for a Sportswear deal. Armani for example designed the gear for the whole Italian team. 
Lack of adequate nutrition

Looking at the athletes who are based in Nigeria, it is obvious that many of them look undernourished and therefore get tired easily. To compete at international levels a good nutrition plan is a must and optimum energy is required. Providing proper fuel, therefore, before and after both training and competition can have a significant impact on performance and recovery.

Lack of medical care
Many athletes this year had injuries and could have performed better if they had the correct care or correct medical advice. Other Olympic teams have fully equipped and complete medical teams from general practitioners to physiotherapists taking acre of their every need.
Lack of quality coaches
Top athletes work with a variety of coaches who invest heavily in their success. In many cases, coaches are what makes getting a medal possible. Countries like China have strength coaches who help design individualised training programmes for each athlete, nutrition coaches who make specific pre and post-workout recommendations and sports coaches who help the athletes set performance and habit goals. There are no such coaches in the Nigerian Team and if there were, they clearly have not done a good job.
No pride in winning
Apart from winning a medal for their country, successful athletes win for themselves and for their families. They know it would go down in history and open doors for them throughout the rest of their lives. In Nigeria, this is hardly the case, because support is low on the agenda, winning a medal makes little difference the lives of the athletes. In Britain, medallists can look forward to a bright future in many areas including working as mentors, coaches, trainers, broadcasters and many more. 
Lack of quality sleep

At the opening ceremony of London 2012, almost half of the British athletes did not take part because they had games the following day. They needed their beauty sleep. Did Team Nigeria do the same? Probably not as they all came out for the parade, dancing and singing. 

No sports drinks to consume

Optimal performance hinges on optimal fuel. During this Olympic so far, Team Nigeria athletes were not seen drinking as they waited in line to compete. Why? British and American athletes on the other hand, sipped sports drinks containing easily digested electrolytes to help increase mental and physical performance before each competition. 

No visions of success

Most athletes recognise that a significant proportion of performance is mental. Elite athletes frequently report visualising their success before it happens. That is the work of psychologists. This time around Team Nigeria did not have a single vision helper in sight. Team Jamaica on the other hand had a large team of coaches, psychologists and counsellors in the front row of the stadium cheering and talking to their athletes.
Lack of exposure
Most Nigerians are fixate on what to eat, what to wear, where to hide, which party to attend and have no urge to find out what the rest of the world is doing. When a Nigerian has the opportunity to spend some time on the internet they check out the social sites. If they have an opportunity to go abroad they check out the shops. Nigerians need to seek out what their competitors are doing not only in the sporting world in technology, science and so on and get down to the business of doing it better. That’s what has made the Chinese great.
Exodus of the best
Nigeria’s top athletes have all deflected to countries where they can get better training, more support, better professional assistance, more financial backing, more recognition and a better future. In London 2012, there are a total of 253 Nigerians competing for other countries including 45 in the British team. These are athletes who could have won medals for Nigeria.

Do you know of any other reasons? Please, leave a comment below.