Highs and lows of Nigerian sports under Buhari

Nigeria’s former president, the late Muhammadu Buhari, first rose to power as a military head of state on December 31, 1983 to August 1985. Decades later, he returned in democratic garb as the country’s president from May 29, 2015 to May 29, 2023. Spanning nearly four decades apart, his two stints in power saw Nigerian […]

Nigeria’s former president, the late Muhammadu Buhari, first rose to power as a military head of state on December 31, 1983 to August 1985. Decades later, he returned in democratic garb as the country’s president from May 29, 2015 to May 29, 2023. Spanning nearly four decades apart, his two stints in power saw Nigerian sports pass through periods of notable triumphs and regrettable stagnation.

 

Sports under Buhari as head of state

Buhari’s brief military rule came during an era of tight economic control and national discipline. Sports did not top the agenda, but significant events occurred that shaped the trajectory of Nigerian sports.

 

Highs

AFCON 1984 silver medal

During the military rule of Buhari, the then Green Eagles led by Coach Adegboye Onigbinde, reached the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, losing 3–1 to a star-studded Cameroon. It was a performance that reaffirmed Nigeria’s place as a footballing force on the continent.

 

FIFA U16 victory in China

Coached by the Sabastine Broderick-Imasuen of blessed memories, the cadet national team, now known as the Golden Eaglets, won the inaugural edition of the1985 FIFA U16 World Championship in China, beating Germany 2-0 in the final match played in Beijing.

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Flying Eagles’ Moscow ‘85 bronze medal

The 1985 Flying Eagles squad won bronze at the FIFA Youth Championship in Moscow shortly after Buhari’s ouster. However, it must be noted that the players were groomed during Buhari’s reign, setting the stage for Nigeria’s youth football dominance.

 

Rising athletics stars

This period witnessed the emergence of athletes like Chidi Imoh and Sunday Uti, who began shaping Nigeria’s global athletics presence in subsequent years.

 

Domestic football boom

Clubs like Leventis United and New Nigerian Bank FC thrived locally. The National Sports Festival remained a breeding ground for talents despite economic constraints.

 

Lows

1984 Olympic boycott

Nigeria joined a U.S.S.R-led boycott of the Los Angeles Olympics, denying dozens of Nigerian athletes their shot at Olympic glory. This political decision was a major blow to the careers of budding athletes, many of whom never got another chance.

 

Underfunding and infrastructural neglect

With austerity measures in full force, sports infrastructure suffered. The military government’s focus was squarely on anti-corruption and public order, pushing sports further down the priority list.

 

Sports under Buhari as president

When Buhari returned as a democratically elected president in 2015, the Nigerian sports sector was already struggling. Administrative crises, deteriorating infrastructure and dwindling morale were prevalent. His administration’s approach yielded mixed outcomes.

 

Highs

Women’s football dominance – Super Falcons

The Super Falcons won back-to-back, WAFCON titles in 2016 and 2018. Players like Asisat Oshoala and Desire Oparanozie became global icons. Despite issues of unpaid bonuses and internal protests, the Falcons maintained continental dominance.

 

Tokyo 2020 Olympics (Held in 2021)

Nigeria clinched two medals—Ese Brume’s bronze in long jump and Blessing Oborodudu’s historic silver in wrestling. The medals came despite the athletes facing poor preparation and limited funding.

 

Tobi Amusan’s world record (2022)

The most electrifying individual feat came in Oregon when Tobi Amusan clocked 12.12 seconds in the 100m hurdles semifinal to set a world record. She went on to win gold, becoming Nigeria’s first world champion in athletics.

 

D’Tigress dominance in African basketball

Nigeria’s women’s basketball team became a powerhouse, winning AfroBasket titles in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Their fourth title in Kigali tied Senegal’s record, marking a golden era for the team.

 

Commonwealth Games 2022 (Birmingham)

Nigeria produced her best performance at the games, finishing 7th with 35 medals (12 gold, 9 silver, 14 bronze). Female athletes once again led the charge, with standout performances from Amusan, Brume and Oborodudu.

 

D’Tigress’ rise to prominence

The women’s national basketball team made history by winning four consecutive FIBA Women’s Afrobasket titles—in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023—matching a record previously held only by Senegal. Their 2023 triumph, a 84-74 win over Senegal in the final, cemented their place among Africa’s basketball elite.

While D’Tigers struggled, D’Tigress consistently excelled, becoming a symbol of resilience and excellence throughout the Buhari administration.

 

Paralympic success

Nigeria’s para-athletes continued to shine. At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Nigeria won 10 medals, with power-lifting accounting for most. Despite limited visibility, they remained Nigeria’s most consistent performers.

 

National Sports Festival revival

The Edo 2020 and Delta 2022 editions were successfully hosted after the festival went moribund for six years. The competition became a robust talent scouting platform for track and field, wrestling, boxing and more.

 

Wrestling revolution

Blessing Oborodudu won Nigeria’s first Olympic wrestling medal in Tokyo. Alongside Odunayo Adekuoroye, they put Nigerian wrestling on the global map.

 

Flamingos’ historic bronze (2022)

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team won a bronze medal at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India, beating Germany. It was Nigeria’s first podium finish in the tournament’s history.

 

WAFU triumphs

The Golden Eaglets (U-17) and Flying Eagles (U20) both won the WAFU B tournaments, qualifying for the 2023 AFCON in their respective age categories.

 

Honour for 1985 victorious Golden Eaglets

In one of his most heartfelt gestures, Buhari fulfilled a 36-year old promise by honouring Nigeria’s 1985 U-16 team with national awards and financial gifts. It was a symbolic closure that touched many Nigerians.

 

Infrastructure rehabilitation

Through private sector partnerships, key facilities like the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja and Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin were revived. Lagos and Port Harcourt also saw slow but deliberate upgrades. Unfortunately, some of the sports facilities are moribound again.

 

National Sports Industry Policy (2022)

Buhari launched this blueprint to transition Nigerian sports from a government- funded activity to a commercially viable sector. Athlete adoption programmes and grassroots initiatives were introduced.

 

National Sports Commission (NSC) Act 2023

Buhari’s parting gift to sports can be said to be the signing of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Act 2023 on May 28, which was also his last day in office. The current chairman of the NSC, Malam Shehu Dikko, disclosed this recently while reflecting on Buhari’s legacies in sports. 

 

Lows

Buhari drew flak from Nigerian sports stakeholders when he appointed the ‘beret-wearing’ Solomon Dalung, a lawyer, as minister of youth and sports during his first term.

 

Super Eagles’ Qatar 2022 mishap

One of the lowest moments for Nigerian sports under Buhari came in March 2022 when the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup after a 1-1 home draw against Ghana in Abuja. Sadly, Buhari was at the stadium to watch the game. The riot that followed underscored fans’ frustration.

 

AFCON 2022 disappointment

Despite a promising start, the Super Eagles crashed out in the Round of 16, losing 1–0 to Tunisia. The early exit was below expectation and sparked public outcry.

 

2023 CHAN Eagles’ failure

The domestic Eagles also failed to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria, again losing out to Ghana.

 

Super Falcons’ WAFCON struggles

At the 2022 WAFCON in Morocco, Nigeria lost to the hosts in the semifinal and finished fourth. It was a rare medal-less outing, although the team qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

 

D’Tigers decline as D’Tigress blossom

While the D’Tigress thrived, D’Tigers suffered inconsistency, internal disputes and eventually failed to qualify for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

 

Persistent bonus and allowance issues 

Across different sports, the late or nonpayment of allowances continued. Falcons, wrestlers, athletes and basketball players publicly protested at various times, tarnishing otherwise positive results.

 

Sports federations’ crisis

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and others were plagued by repeated crises, allegations of mismanagement, poor planning and inconsistent decision making – all of which affected national team performances during Buhari’s administration.

Notably, the D’Tigress were kicked out of the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after the federal government withdrew all basketball teams from international competitions following intractable crisis in the NBBF.

Conclusively, Buhari’s impact on Nigerian sports can be described as a tale of unrealised potentials balanced with iconic moments of brilliance. While it may be argued that he wasn’t deliberate about sports development, his tenure coincided with major achievements, especially in women’s sports, parasports and individual athletic feats. Yet, under his watch, the sector remained bogged down by poor funding, administrative disorder and lack of long-term planning.

In many ways, Nigerian sports under Buhari mirrored the state of the nation – full of talents, weakened by structure, yet powered on by sheer determination.