At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million, did not secure any medals. In con-trast, Jamaica, with just under three (3) million people, added six medals to its growing Olympic tally. What strategies might Jamaica be employing that could benefit Nigeria? Nigeria’s passion for football is un-deniable. From local matches on dusty pitches to cheering crowds at the sta-dium, football dominates the nation’s sporting conversation. But as Nigeria strives to reclaim and elevate its status on the global sporting stage, particularly at the Olympics, it is imperative that we broaden our focus to prioritise invest-ment in grassroots track and field sports development. Investment in grassroots athletics is critical for any nation aiming to excel on the global sporting stage. Studies by the World Athletics Federation reveal that countries with comprehensive youth sports programs, quality coaching, and adequate facilities consistently produce more Olympic finalists and medalists. In Nigeria, despite the abundance of natural talent, many promising young athletes lack access to structured train-ing, quality coaching, and competitive opportunities. This gap severely limits their ability to reach their full potential and diminishes Nigeria’s chances of long-term success in track and field. Our investment in sports is driven by our commitment to fostering youth de-velopment, just as our shared value ini-tiative. By supporting athletics, we not only contribute to the growth of sports but also engage with the younger de-mographic in a meaningful way, as we believe we are good together. Leading into this, the MTN CHAMPS initiative exemplifies our dedication to nurturing young talent and creating opportunities for the youth to excel. Since 2023, MTN CHAMPS has iden-tified the need to focus beyond football to include track and field development. A nationwide grassroots sports com-petition, it is designed to uncover and develop raw athletic talent, preparing them for the global sports stage. The reach is wide and varied. Season 1 saw competitions in Abuja, Benin, Ibadan and Uyo; Season 2, Asaba, Ibadan, Jos and Calabar, while the recently conclud-ed season 3 was held in Benin, Lagos and Uyo. In three seasons, MTN CHAMPS has seen entries from over 21,500 ath-letes from 1,318 schools nationwide. In partnership with the Making of Champions (MoC), CHAMPS has given young Olympic hopefuls the opportu-nity and stage to showcase their skills. With Olympic-standard tracks and da-ta-backed equipment from race clocks to real-time scoring on the Roster Athletics platform, the program ensures every athlete competes under professional conditions that foster peak performance and accurate talent identification. Nigeria’s history in Olympic track and field features moments of bril-liance, though overall performance has been uneven. Since its debut in 1952, Nigeria has won a total of 27 Olympic medals, 3 gold, 11 silver, and 13 bronze, primarily in sprint events, with limited success in jumps and throws. Standout moments include Chioma Ajunwa’s historic long jump gold at the 1996 At-lanta Games, Mary Onyali, five-time Olympian and MTN CHAMPS season 3 ambassador, who represented Nigeria from 1988 to 2004 and won two Olympic bronze medals, one in the 200m in 1996 and another as part of the 4x100m relay team in 1992, and the recent emergence of stars like Blessing Okagbare and Tobi Amusan. While Nigeria’s medal tally is relatively high compared to other African countries, smaller nations have outperformed in specific sports. Nigeria’s performance at the 2024 Olympics marked a significant under-performance given its population and resources. In contrast, smaller African nations achieved notable successes. Kenya led the continent with 11 medals, including four golds in athletics events. Algeria secured two golds and one bronze, highlighted by Kaylia Nemour’s historic gold in gymnastics and Imane Khelif’s victory in boxing. South Africa secured six medals, including a gold in swimming by Tatjana Smith. Ethiopia earned four medals, with Tamirat Tola winning gold in the men’s marathon. Similarly, Jamaica has consistently outperformed on the global athletics stage due to well-established grassroots systems. Despite its population, Jamai-ca remains a global sprinting power-house, regularly producing Olympic medalists like Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Elaine Thomp-son-Herah, and a total of 93 medals, 27 gold, 39 silver, and 27 bronze, since its 1948 debut at the Olympics. This success is largely attributed to its structured high school athletics program, espe-cially the annual ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships, which serves as a national platform for talent identification and development. In the United States, as well, high school and college sports are embedded in the education system, providing ath-letes access to world-class coaching, fa-cilities, and competition early on. These models show that when nations invest early and consistently in youth sports, regardless of size, they can dominate globally. There is a lot of opportunity for Nigeria, with a population exceeding 200 million, to fully capitalise on this. Every season, MTN CHAMPS cul-tivates exceptional talent, with athletes setting new Personal Bests (PBs) and be-ing recognised as MVPs (Most Valuable Players). These MVPs earn induction into the prestigious MoC athletics acad-emy, where they receive scholarships, mentorship, and elite training from former Olympians turned coaches like Deji Aliu. Through targeted training camps, expert coaching, and commu-nity engagement, CHAMPS is bridging the gap and creating clear pathways for future track stars. Building the next generation of Olympians requires a collective effort. Increased funding for sports infrastruc-ture and grassroots programs, establish-ing nationwide athletic centers and fostering partnerships with the private sector to support youth sports are im-perative. Sport’s governing bodies need to strengthen talent identification and coaching education while adopting da-ta-driven methods to monitor athlete’s progress and ensure equitable resource allocation. Schools have a crucial role to play by integrating athletics into their curricula, providing qualified coaches, and hosting regular sports competitions that feed into national talent pipelines. Parents must support young athletes by encouraging participation and valuing sports alongside academics. Nigeria’s next generation of track and field stars is already emerging, but their success depends on a coordinat-ed and well-funded grassroots system. With combined efforts, Nigeria can re-claim its place on the Olympic podium. The time to invest is now, ensuring that Nigeria’s athletic legacy continues to grow stronger and more inclusive. …Ikenna-Emeka is CMO, MTN Ni-geria