Kano Tragedy: Concerns mounts over poor treatment of Nigerian sports delegates

The death of 22 Kano State athletes and officials in a fatal road accident has sent shockwaves across Nigeria and among diaspora communities, igniting not just mourning—but also renewed anger over the chronic neglect of sports delegates by many Nigerian state governments.

The tragic incident occurred on the Zaria-Kano expressway as the delegation was returning from the just-concluded National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The victims—many of them young, vibrant athletes with dreams of national and international careers—were returning home in overloaded, poorly maintained buses, a condition emblematic of the state of grassroots sports development in Nigeria.

In response, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, currently on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj, declared Monday, June 2, a public holiday in Kano State to honour the lives lost. His spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, confirmed the directive in a statement that extended condolences to the grieving families.

“It is with a deeply saddened heart that I received the tragic news of the unfortunate incident which claimed the lives of 22 innocent citizens and left several others injured,” Governor Yusuf stated.

“On behalf of the government and the good people of Kano State, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. We mourn with you and share in your grief.”

Beyond Mourning: A Systemic Failure

While the governor’s gesture has been widely acknowledged, many sports analysts, athletes, and diaspora observers say the accident reflects deeper, longstanding issues. At the heart of the outrage is the poor treatment of athletes who represent their states at national events, often with little or no support.

At the Abeokuta games, several contingents from across Nigeria reportedly faced deplorable conditions: unpaid allowances, substandard accommodation, lack of medical support, and transportation in rickety vehicles. Kano’s team was no exception.

Multiple athletes from the National Sports Festival shared their experiences online, detailing how they had to fund their feeding or borrow jerseys from teammates. Some said they slept on bare floors in overcrowded school halls due to a lack of proper lodging provided by their states.

“It’s not just a tragedy. It’s a pattern of neglect,” said Musa Danjuma, a former national athlete now based in the UK. “Every year, we hear promises. Every year, athletes are abandoned after giving their all for the state. This accident was preventable.”

Lives cut short, dreams unfulfilled

The Kano delegation included medal-winning athletes, young hopefuls who had competed against the odds. Among the dead was a promising teenage sprinter who had just set a personal best and was being scouted for national trials.

Photos from the Festival had shown the athletes proudly displaying the Kano State colours, their medals dangling around their necks. Less than 48 hours later, many of them were lifeless on the highway, in a twisted wreck of what should never have been their transport.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Fatima Isah, a Kano native in Canada and sports advocate. “The diaspora community is grieving not only the lives lost but the system that continues to fail our youth. These were not just athletes—they were ambassadors.”

A Call for Reform

Governor Yusuf has promised support for the injured and bereaved families. Still, civil society groups are calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident, including the condition of the transport and the delegation’s welfare package.

In addition to declaring a state holiday, the Governor called on Imams and Muslims in Nigeria and abroad to offer prayers for the souls of the departed. But for many, prayers alone are not enough.

“It’s time for action,” said a joint statement from the Nigerian Athletes Union and diaspora groups in the UK, U.S., and Canada. “The culture of using our athletes for political glory without safeguarding their welfare must end.”

As Nigerians across the globe join Kano in mourning, the deaths of these young athletes may yet spark the long-overdue reckoning on how states treat those who carry their flags with pride.

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