President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Chief Solomon Ogba, has for long, planned to hire a foreign coach to transform athletics in Nigeria.
.
But sourcing the fund to pay the wages of one or two foreign coaches has always been a problem. The sport has been suffering so much neglect by the government for many years. Okagbare Sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi who was here in Moscow for the 14th edition of the World Championships plans to address the problem.
.
He has not only given the go ahead for the engagement of foreign coaches for Nigeria, he has also set in motion the process to hire one or two. He was scrutinizing some of the applications his ministry has received from top sports coaches and athletics instructors here.
.
And what about the money to fund the payment of their wages? Will such an exercise not ridicule Nigeria when the ministry begins to owe the coaches as had happened before?
.
"The minister already has a fund for this. He has made provision for this and we will go ahead with the plan," Ogba said here in Moscow.
.
"We shall not have problem with payment of their wages. The minister has a special fund for that," Julius Ogunro, aide of the minister said here while displaying the applications.
.
The minister appeared more determined to hire a foreign coach after the long sessions he had here with Mike Afulaka, the British coach of Nigerian parents. Mike, with his laptop , so analysed the races of Blessing Okagbare that the minister felt a foreign coach was needed to lift athletics in Nigeria.
.
Blessing's reaction on the block was not bad but she did not drive long enough before raising her head for the power sprinting. At the time she did, Shelly Ann Fraser and Murriela Ahoure, the winner of the gold and silver medallists respectively and others were still on the drive.