Former Nigeria track and field international and a World Athletics Level 1 coach, Samuel Onikeku has been appointed as the technical director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN.                    

Making the announcement in Tokyo on the sidelines of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, Tonobock Okowa, president of the AFN says Onikeku’s appointment was made  pursuant to article 8.6.5 of the Federation’s 2017 constitution and after consultations with the sport’s stakeholders.       

“This decision was made pursuant to article 8.6.5 of our (AFN) constitution and after careful consultations with the board members and other stakeholders in Nigerian athletics family,”said the president in a media release. 

Onikeku, a Superintendent of Customs and Secretary of Customs Sports is a member of the new board of the AFN representing the Military and Para-Military constituency.                         

His first assignment will be to lead Nigeria’s under 20 team to the World Junior Championships holding later this month in Nairobi, Kenya.                        
“The World Junior Championships is coming up this month in Kenya and we need the Technical Director who incidentally is also a qualified coach to pilot the  affairs of the technical crew. I congratulate Mr Samuel Onikeku and wish him success in the discharge of his duties,”the president further said in the statement.