Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), has attributed the power outage that disrupted the men’s 10,000m final during the 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF) to a technical glitch. The incident occurred at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex on the second day of athletics at the 22nd edition of the festival, which is being hosted by Ogun State.
The power failure struck midway through the race, plunging the stadium into darkness for approximately 20 minutes. Despite this setback, Plateau State’s Francis James triumphed in the final, clocking a time of 30:36:50. However, James admitted that the interruption negatively affected his performance, as it disrupted his rhythm and prevented him from achieving a potentially faster time. Coincidentally, the stadium lights were restored just after the race concluded.
Speaking at a World Press Conference in Abeokuta the following day, Dikko explained that the glitch was due to the newly renovated stadium’s systems. “We had just left the stadium when that happened,” Dikko told The PUNCH. “Basically, what happened was a technical glitch that can happen at a new infrastructure like this, which has worked for many days continuously. It could have been worse if it had taken the whole day to get it back on track. It was resolved immediately, and that showed we were on top of it.”
Dikko emphasized that the outage could not have been avoided during the men’s 10,000m race, noting, “Unfortunately, it happened when an event that couldn’t be stopped was going on. They were doing the men’s 10,000m race, and we couldn’t have stopped them.” He further mentioned that, in the long term, contingency plans, such as the potential use of solar power, might be considered depending on future load requirements.
The NSF 2024, often regarded as Nigeria’s version of the Olympics, is heating up with 2,150 medals up for grabs across 549 events. The festival’s medal count includes 626 gold, 626 silver, and 898 bronze medals, and is set to be one of the most expansive editions in its history. Additionally, the event has introduced the Invited Junior Athletes category, allowing younger talents to compete alongside seasoned athletes and showcase their skills on a national stage.
