AFN sets up five-man committee for African Games, Olympics

Determined to make a bold step in international sporting events this year, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) at its board meeting, at the weekend, sets up a five-man committee to raise a formidable team for the African Games, the World Indoor Championship and the Olympic Games holding in Paris.

The five-man committee is headed by Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (rtd). Other members are the federation’s Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, Manta Haruna Mohammed, Mrs Maria Wophill, Dr Solomon Alao, while an official of the AFN secretariat will serve as its secretary.

According to a member of the committee, Maria Wophill, it is mandated to put in place a formidable athletics squad (from home and abroad) to fly the nation’s flag at the African Games, the World Indoor Championship as well as the Olympics Games in Paris.

Wophill also told The Guardian, shortly after the meeting, that the AFN board also dissolved all its committees that have served two years as agreed upon at the beginning of its tenure in 2021.

She said: “The board has approved its Safeguarding Policy Committee in line with the policy of World Athletics. The board also set up a three-man committee to fashion out appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the committees, which would soon be set up by the federation.”

Wophill said that she is a member of the three-man committee headed by Dr. Solomon Alao, with Prof Emmanuel Ojeme also a member.

“The three-member committee is to draw up SOPs/Terms of Reference for the new Committees that will be set up as their Operational Guidelines. Wophill further explained that the AFN board also deliberated on the Audit Committee Report and applauded the members for their efforts.

“However, the board did not uphold