The President of the Coalition of Supporter Groups of Nigeria (COSGON), Professor Kunle Awosika, has issued a scathing statement calling for immediate government’s intervention into what he described as the “systematic decay” within the The Nigerian Federation of Gymnastics (NFG) also called Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria.
In an open letter made available to the media, Professor Awosika alleged that the Federation, under the leadership of Prince Kelvin Erhunmunse, was plagued by deep-rooted leadership crises, unconstitutional tenure elongation, election irregularities, amongst others.
He claimed that the current administration has undermined the credibility of the sport and placed it on the brink of collapse.
“We are no longer dealing with just poor leadership. This is now about the death of a sport that once held promise for Nigeria’s Olympic ambitions,” Awosika said.
According to the COSGON President, access to quality facilities and international competitions remained out of reach for deserving athletes.
“Athletes lack standard training facilities. Grassroots development has been abandoned, and Nigeria’s presence on the international gymnastics stage is almost nonexistent,” he stated.
Despite gymnastics being one of the most prestigious Olympic disciplines globally, Nigeria’s performance in the sport has stagnated, trailing behind even smaller African nations in competition and development.
Awosika urged the National Sports Commission (NSC), and the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) to immediately investigate the Federation’s activities.
The Professor also called on the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) to send an independent fact-finding delegation to assess the situation in Nigeria.
“The credibility and future of Nigerian gymnastics are at stake. The current trajectory can no longer be ignored. It is time for decisive, corrective action,” he said.
The Coalition warned that should the government fail to act, COSGON would mobilise civil society, athletes, and the wider sporting community for nationwide advocacy campaigns and potential legal actions.
