John Enoh, the current Minister of Sports, is proving to be woefully inadequate for the task at hand. He seems entirely out of his depth, not only in the realm of sports administration but also in fulfilling the responsibilities of a minister of the Federal Republic. Watching his orchestrated television appearances, it becomes glaringly clear that Enoh is fumbling in the dark, lost in a sea of incompetence and ignorance.

A closer look at his approach reveals a public official too eager to make an impact without putting in the necessary groundwork. This is the tragedy of John Enoh and, by extension, the setback of Nigeria’s sports development. He appears more interested in personal accolades than in genuine progress, rushing to claim victories even when there are none to be had.

The real challenge in sports development is figuring out how to elevate our performance, not tearing down sports federations or berating athletes for being "too emotional," as Enoh has suggested. Instead of comparing his brief tenure to the many years of his predecessors, he should focus on what really matters: making lasting improvements.

Leadership is about taking responsibility and guiding through challenges, but Enoh has shown the opposite. His handling of Nigeria's disastrous outing at the Paris 2024 Olympics and his subsequent media outbursts have exposed him as a poor leader. Rather than owning up to the failure, he has pointed fingers at everyone but himself. It’s a sad spectacle to watch—a minister lashing out on TV, deflecting blame rather than stepping up to the plate.

His attitude toward the job is a major red flag for the future of Nigerian sports. In the past year, his erratic approach has shown that our sports sector is in unstable hands. Enoh's primary focus seems to be on football, with more excitement about traveling and rubbing shoulders with the power players of Nigerian football than actually developing the broader sports landscape.

In an unprecedented move, we now have a minister personally traveling the world to search for a national coach for the Super Eagles. Weeks have been spent in foreign capitals, but the result is the current debacle of a coachless national team. How much lower can we sink?

Let’s be clear: Enoh’s threats against sports federations and athletes will only ignite more problems. His promise to rewrite federation constitutions is laughable and misguided. Does he genuinely believe that Nigeria’s lack of Olympic medals is due to federation constitutions?

As someone with 20 years of experience as a sports analyst, I can confidently say that John Enoh is heading in the wrong direction. We also need transparency regarding the billions allocated to the NFF, the Olympics, and the All-Africa Games. In just eight months, where has all the money gone? If 12 months wasn’t enough to prepare for the Olympics, how did the funds disappear so quickly?

It’s time for Enoh to hit pause and reflect. His posturing and finger-pointing will only drag Nigerian sports further into disarray. My advice? Calm down, settle in, and remember why you’re here. Most people are beginning to believe you came for the money and influence, not to serve.

By Jimoh Ahmed
(Sports Analyst)