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By Sandra Simon
The World Athletics Championships is the 20th edition of the premier global track and field event, held from September 13 to September 21, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), like the national federations of other countries, is the body responsible for providing athletes with their kits and support.
This year, AFN was embroiled in controversy as one of the Nigerian athletes, Tobi Amusan. publicly called out the body in a trending video over a poor kit she received for the world championships.
In a swift response, AFN President Tonobok Okowa dismissed Amusan’s claims. According to the federation, athletes received standard kits approved by World Athletics sponsors.
Amusan’s criticism is not an isolated case. Other Nigerian athletes in different sports have previously voiced frustration about poor welfare and inadequate facilities.
Blessing Okagbare
In 2021, Blessing Okagbare expressed concerns over kit distribution, saying they were not new and her complaint should not be dismissed.
“Those gears arrived and were in Tokyo in 2021, but they made sure the athletes did not get them.
“See, ehn, these people. Now you’re trying to condemn an athlete for stating the obvious. So what if you bought her a business-class flight ticket?”Okagbare stated in a post on the social media platform X.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, a Nigerian shot putter, also had a notable experience concerning the kit issues at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
He had to wash his own competition kit due to a shortage of official gear provided by AFN, and this sparked concerns about the support and resources Nigerian athletes receive.
Favour Ofili
Another athlete who has voiced her disappointment with the treatment Nigerians face is medallist Favour Ofili.
Ofili slammed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) after being omitted from competing in the women’s 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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Despite winning the Nigerian 100m title at the Olympic trials in Benin and qualifying for the event, Ofili was only entered in the 200m event by the AFN.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, she penned, “It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters at these Olympic Games.
“I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter my name. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what… to not be entered and compete at the Olympic Games because the responsible organisation failed to enter me?”
Ese Brume
Ese Brume has expressed disappointment and complaint regarding several issues throughout her career, including receiving inadequate financial allowances from Nigerian athletics administrators after a major championship, experiencing injuries that hindered her performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and narrowly missing a medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
In 2018, after her gold medal win at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Asaba, she said, “The Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship was an international event, and every athlete who represented Team Nigeria was supposed to be given international treatment.
“We were told that our daily allowance was $100, which should translate to $700. That was aside the $3,000 each gold medallist was supposed to get.
“It was a rude shock for some of us to receive just N107,000 as total allowance for the duration of the game. That is rubbish. Some of us had to reject it because we considered it as an insult.”
Samuel Ogazi
Nigeria’s teenage sprint star Samuel Ogazi has accused national team officials of forcing him to run while injured after crashing out in the first round of the men’s 400m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.
He says he was forced to compete despite being unwell. He expressed his frustration, stating that he informed AFN officials but insisted he was pressurised to compete.
“I told them, Team Nigeria officials, I’m not prepared for this. I don’t think I could do anything if I go out there. They said, just go out there and give it your all. I didn’t warm up properly. I didn’t do anything properly.
“Yeah, I was willing to sit out. I was very, very much willing to sit out. During the warm-up, I spoke with the doctor. He taped my leg. I told him, yo, I’m not ready. I know I’m not feeling healthy and strong yet.
“Right now, I’m not feeling healthy and strong. I don’t know, maybe coupled with the fact that I was diagnosed with COVID two weeks ago. I don’t know,” he said.
