Abuja Half Marathon Race Exposes AFN’s Weakness in Distance Running Development
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is facing renewed criticism after hailing the performances of Nigerian athletes at the Abuja City International Half Marathon as ‘outstanding.’
Critics argue that the federation is once again celebrating mediocrity while ignoring the harsh realities of global standards in distance running.
Observers point out that AFN officials often make exaggerated claims about developing running events in Nigeria, when in fact the country’s athletes remain far from competitive on the international stage.
None of Nigeria’s distance runners currently qualify as world athletics elite runners, meaning they cannot compete effectively at global label events.
Instead, they benefit from special prizes reserved for Nigerians at home competitions, where only a handful of elite athletes are invited per gender category.
This system ensures that Nigerian runners can finish in the top eight by default, even when their times fall well short of international benchmarks. Critics say this is what the AFN celebrates, rather than confronting reality and working to genuinely develop the discipline.
The Abuja race, which drew more than 3,000 participants, was won by Kenya’s Ephar Namutala in 1:05:14. His time ranks just 1,867th worldwide this year, far below the elite level where Kenyan and Ethiopian runners regularly finish between 56 minutes and just over an hour.
Nigeria’s Adamu Shehu, praised by AFN for finishing fourth overall and first among Nigerians, clocked 1:08:25. That performance places him 3,657th globally, a result that hardly signals international competitiveness.
Critics say the federation’s emphasis on finishing positions rather than the quality of times shows a lack of understanding of what it takes to reach the podium at continental or world championships.
The comments credited to AFN’s second vice president, Aku Aghazu, have been described as misleading, particularly given her role as head of the federation’s road race commission.
This latest controversy comes in the wake of allegations earlier this year that AFN fielded as many as 16 athletes with multiple dates of birth at the African U18 and U20 Championships in Abeokuta.
The federation’s credibility has been further undermined by accusations of poor organization and disregard for its own constitution.
Critics insist that only the president, Tonobok Okowa, should be speaking on policy matters, yet other officials continue to make pronouncements that expose the federation’s weaknesses.
