I missed the opening of the Rio Olympics. I was told by those who watched it that it was a spectacular, not-to-be-missed event. But I was, unfortunately, shuttling planes and airports and was more concerned at that time with getting self and baggage to the next destination safely. In the process, I also missed the first game of the dream team which it won handily despite the match being played within hours of the team’s arrival in Rio. That feat demonstrated the power of the spirit over physical limitations. The consequence of these was that I was determined to watch the closing ceremony and as many of the dream team’s matches as I possibly could.

Many know my views on the blunders of sports minister Solomon Dalung. But if truth be told, he may not, largely, be held responsible for the huge flop that was Nigeria at the just concluded Rio Olympics. He is only partly to blame for the fact that the little time he had to prepare Nigeria’s athletes he spent QUALITY TIME broiling in the leadership tussle in the Nigeria Football Federation and doing things that belittle his office.

My dear sister and friend, Temi Harriman, a lawyer and politician, has just won a legal battle against a bunch of malicious men who decided, for reasons best known to themselves, to libel a lady who doesn’t deserve to be embarrassed.

There have been controversies over the hosting of the Olympic Games. In fact, there have been mass boycotts. For instance, most African countries boycotted the 1976 Games due to the non-expulsion of New Zealand which maintained close sporting links with Apartheid South Africa. Four years later, 62 countries, led by America, boycotted the Moscow Olympic Games on the excuse that the then Soviet Union intervened in Afghanistan. The latter retaliated in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games by leading a 22-country boycott using security concerns as excuse.

We have so many things lined up and we are focused on Nigeria with a broader African context. We intend to promote the culture and tradition of Africa but we are starting with home first which is Nigeria. With our toys, you can visualise Nigeria because in each state, we have a picture of what the state is known for. Like in Ebonyi state, we know they are the salt of the nation you have a picture of the salt there. We just try to make it engaging and interesting and also very colourful.