Senator John Owan Enoh, the Minister of Sports Development, has clarified why Nigerian cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye had to borrow a bicycle from the German cycling team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. On August 8, Ese shared on X that, due to short notice, her German competitor, Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, kindly lent her a bicycle for the race. Ese competed in the Keirin and Sprint events on Wednesday but did not advance beyond the sixth position.
The situation sparked criticism from Nigerians, who accused the government of causing Ese “huge embarrassment.” In response, Minister Enoh explained that the Nigerian government had not initially planned for Ese to compete, as the opportunity arose only after another country was disqualified. He noted that procuring a bicycle on short notice was impractical, as ordering and delivery typically take several months.