Olympics: Nigeria Only Competed in Low-Investment Sports – Seun Kuti

Famous singer Seun Kuti has criticized the Nigerian government for its lack of investment in sports.

In a viral video circulating on social media, Seun expressed his disappointment with Team Nigeria’s poor performance at the recently concluded 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Reflecting on the games, Seun pointed out that Nigeria only participated in sports that require minimal investment.

“I watched the Olympic games, and our performance was dismal. How many sports did we actually compete in? I noticed that Nigeria only took part in sports that don’t require significant investment. We focused on events that needed minimal resources.

“For instance, to play football, all you need is a ball, a goalpost, and a net—sometimes boys even use slippers to create a makeshift goalpost. But in sports that require more equipment, like rackets, basketball courts, rims, and nets, we were nowhere to be found. We only competed in track and field events because running doesn’t require much. But we’re absent in sports that need proper equipment.

“Nigerians are familiar with these sports and even bet on them, so how much would it take to create a strong league and offer the winners $25 million? Let’s allocate at least a million dollars per year—this is what athletes in Europe are earning.

“Nigerians are missing out on the talents of their children and all our potential superstars. What other major sports events do they participate in here? I watched the Olympics and saw many athletes with Nigerian-sounding names achieving incredible feats for other countries. If Simone Biles can be that successful, imagine how many talents are going to waste because we don’t invest in gymnastics or train our children.”