By Ben Efe 29.9.2026
Nigerian track and field coaches have voiced out their concern about the reported scheme by the National Sports Commission to bring on board Cuban coaches who will help turn around the fortunes of the country in the sport.
NSC big shots initiated the move following noticeable technical lapses and a mixed bag of performances by Nigerian athletes in some of the international competitions in the 2026 season.
Ahead of the 2027 season where the World Championships beckon in Beijing, China and 2028 the Olympics in Los Angeles USA, the NSC wants the country’s athletes to be up to speed with all the technicalities that Jack up their performances.
But Nigerian coaches feeling that they would be neglected have rather urged the NSC to arrange coaching courses and motivate them because without their inputs it would be difficult for foreign coaches to solve the problems facing Nigeria’s track and field development.
“Agreed only a few Nigerian coaches are certified by the World Athletics…
“It costs nothing less than $7,000 including accommodation and transportation to travel to the USA or elsewhere in Europe for coaches to attend certification courses. Where do you expect our coaches to get funds to embark on that kind of journey?
“Nigerian coaches are sound; they only need to be trained and retrained. If you check out the history of athletes achievements at the international level a good number of the athletes were produced by Nigerian coaches,” coach Gabriel Opuana submitted.
Athletics Coaches Association of Nigeria president Olalekan Adebote observed that there was nothing wrong in getting help from abroad to reposition Nigerian track and field, but in the process Nigerian coaches must not be neglected.
“Though I haven’t seen any official announcement concerning the hiring of the Cuban coaches to support our athletes, I welcome the idea,” said coach Adebote.
“We all want the same thing: more medals, new records and a stronger pipeline of athletes. Cuba has a proud record in track and field, and I have no problem learning from that.
“But I would like us to do this in a slightly different way. Rather than only bringing coaches in to train athletes directly, let us engage Cuban or other experts who are World Athletics lecturers to run Level 2 and Level 3 courses for our coaches. One course reaches dozens of coaches, and the knowledge stays in Nigeria long after the lecturers have gone home.”
He added that Nigerian coaches deserve recognition because they are the best in terms of talent discovery and that should be taken into cognition in whatever the NSC is planning.
Also speaking coach Patience Itanyi balked at the idea, she stated that Nigerian coaches are more than capable of working wonders if they are well motivated.
“The NSC is going to be paying the Cuban coaches, when was the last time a Nigerian coach was paid and given the mandate to produce athletes?
“That notwithstanding top Nigerian athletes currently hold the flag for the country Tobi Amusan, Kanyisola Ajayi, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Samuel Ogazi are home grown athletes before they came abroad, they were produced by Nigerian coaches…all what is there is to be done is give them motivation and regular courses they will be good as any international coach you are bringing in,” Itanyi stated.
However, speaking on the issue, the NSC elite athletes and podium performance board chairman, Yusuf Alli assured Nigerian coaches that the NSC is not planning to neglect them, but rather it has good incentives lined up.
But according to him there is a huge technical void in Nigerian track and field that must be closed and the NSC was quite determined to do whatever it takes to produce results.
“No the NSC is not trying to neglect our local coaches…infact there plans to bring in technical experts to organise coaching courses for them and also have other incentives for those producing grassroots athletes,” said the former African long jump champion.
“The NSC is trying to close a yawning technical gap in our track and field hence it is looking at home and abroad. Apart from the Cuban coaches, we have also contacted Nigerian born coaches doing well in the diaspora.
“We shouldn’t forget that in 1996 we have Cuban coaches like George Diaz and Jose Salazar who worked with the federation and we saw what they did with athletes like Chioma Ajumwa who won the gold at Atlanta 1996, and also Gloria Alozie who won world junior 100m hurdles and later won silver at the 2000 Olympics, they also worked with Rosa Collins and many others. The NSC is looking far and wide to solve a technical problem.”