Favour Ofili Blocked Me – AFN President Laments

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) president, Tonobok Okowa, has claimed that Nigerian female sprinter, Favour Ofili, has blocked him from reaching her.

This is coming after reports went viral that Favour Ofili, 22, has allegedly accepted a €500,000 offer to dump Nigeria for Turkey.

“I’ve been trying to reach her. We had a strong relationship, even with her family. But suddenly, she blocked everyone. That was when I knew something was wrong,” Okowa told Making of Champs.

The AFN president has also revealed that the body is working on improving the welfare of the athletes to discourage them from switching allegiance to other countries.

Note that Ofili’s frustration with the AFN, which is about to make her abandon Nigeria, escalated when the body failed to register her for some events during the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

Aside from her, other Nigerian sportsmen and women have been unhappy over the poor welfare packages they have been subjected to.

“If Nigeria can invest more in athletes, it will go a long way”, he said.

“We’re hearing that even countries in the Arab world are starting to do what Turkey is doing. The concern is not just about Ofili, it’s about the ones we haven’t heard about yet.

“What we’ve read so far remains speculation, but if it turns out to be true, then Nigeria must step up when it comes to the welfare of athletes.”

The AFN noted that the tempting offers Nigerian athletes are getting from other countries have made it easier for them to consider switching allegiance. Okowa said an athlete like Ofili can’t be stopped from switching if she wants to.

“She’s an adult, and she’s working closely with her coach. Offers like these are hard to ignore,” he said.

“We’ve seen this before. Countries are offering money and citizenship, and it’s not just Nigeria being targeted.

“Jamaicans, Kenyans and others are also in talks to change allegiance. So we must understand this in the wider context.”

Note that Favour Ofili is still listed as a Nigerian athlete on the World Athletics platform. Also, the Turkish Athletics Federation is yet to officially announce Ofili as its new sprinter.