Dynamic Athletics

AFN’s New Board: Getting the Right Rhythm By Dr. Kola Oredipe “The time is always right to do what is right.”  -  Martin Luther King Jr. That timeless quote perfectly captures the resolve of the new board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), a team determined to sustain the growth of athletics, attract corporate sponsorships, and build future champions for the nation. Under the leadership of Chief Tonobok Okowa , a seasoned sports administrator now serving his second term as AFN President, the new board comprises technocrats, academics, public servants, experienced coaches, ex-international athletes , and other professionals, a blend of expertise and passion rarely seen in Nigerian athletics governance. A Fresh Beginning for Nigerian Athletics This new assemblage signals a fresh start. The members are committed not only to improving athletes’ welfare but also to making the right investments in grassroots talent development , ensuring that young Nigerians are...

The Athletics community in Nigeria has been set abuzz with mixed reactions following the endorsement of Mrs. Maria Worphil’s appointment to the Executive Board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) by Olalekan Soetan, the Southwest Zonal Representative and member of the AFN Technical Committee. In what began as a congratulatory message from Soetan welcoming Mrs. Worphil, who joined the AFN Board as the representative of the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), quickly spiraled into a heated debate among athletics stakeholders, ex-athletes, and administrators on Facebook. Veteran former athlete and UK lawyer Oyiki Orode was among the first to question the legitimacy of AFFAN’s role and representation, saying:  “Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN). When was this body formed? Of all the arrays of former athletes we have, it is a former handball player that is qualified to represent them as Executive member of the AFN? If this is not an ...

 OLALEKAN SOETAN WELCOMES MRS. MARIA WORPHIL TO THE AFN EXECUTIVE BOARD Olalekan Soetan, Southwest Zonal Representative and Member of the Technical Committee of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has congratulated Mrs. Maria Worphil on her appointment to the AFN Executive Board as the Representative of the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN). In a statement personally signed by him, Coach Soetan described her inclusion as “a gain for competence, structure, and reform-minded leadership,” noting that her wealth of experience and deep institutional knowledge come at a crucial time for the Federation’s continued growth and stability. Mrs. Worphil, a retired Director from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the longest-serving Secretary General of the AFN, was honoured in 2019 by World Athletics (then IAAF) with the prestigious Veteran Pin Award for her outstanding service to athletics. Her background as both a former international athle...

 AFN President Okowa Reiterates Commitment to Podium Finish at 2026 Commonwealth Games The President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, has reaffirmed the Federation’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s elite athletes achieve podium finishes at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Chief Okowa made this known shortly after a strategic stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja, where preparations for the Games and lessons from the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, were extensively reviewed. According to him, the AFN, working in collaboration with its sponsors and with continued support from the National Sports Commission (NSC), will provide athletes with all the necessary backing in terms of training, welfare, logistics, and other essential needs. “We commend our athletes for giving Nigeria a positive image in Tokyo,” Okowa said. “The country reached four finals, the men’s 100m, women’s 100m hurdles, men’s 400m hurdles (where a national record w...