The President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, has appealed to foreign missions in Nigeria to streamline visa processing for athletes selected to represent the country at international competitions.
Okowa made the call following visa-related difficulties encountered by members of the Nigerian team at the Hungarian Embassy, which ultimately prevented the country’s 100m mixed relay team from competing at the recent World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
The AFN president, who is also a senior vice-president of the Confederation of African Athletics, said the problem was partly caused by delays in the submission of visa-support letters by the local organising committee to the Hungarian Embassy in Nigeria.
According to him, efforts by Nigerian officials to resolve the situation were unsuccessful.
Okowa acknowledged the interventions of the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr Habu Gumel, and other prominent figures in Nigerian sport who attempted to resolve the visa issue.
He said the incident highlighted the need for earlier preparation and closer coordination between athletes, sports authorities and competition organisers.
Despite the setback, Okowa described Nigeria’s overall performance at the Budapest championship as encouraging, particularly given the presence of several young athletes alongside more established competitors.
He said the federation would review the logistical difficulties encountered in Budapest and apply the lessons ahead of next year’s World Athletics Championship in China, which he identified as the AFN’s major priority.
“This is a young team, and the fact that we made it to the final in four of the five events we competed in is very encouraging. The World Championship in China next year is the AFN’s big focus,” Okowa said.
He added that the federation would begin preparations earlier to minimise the possibility of similar problems affecting the team in future international competitions.
“We must learn from what happened and ensure that everything concerning visas, documentation and logistics is handled much earlier. We will continue to work with these athletes and identify areas that need improvement,” he said.
Okowa also stressed the importance of reducing the pressure placed on athletes by administrative and logistical difficulties while they prepare for major competitions.
“The athletes should not have to go through this kind of pressure when they are preparing to compete for their country,” he said.
