Sport and Politics:
do they go together?
Social Media has long since become the most important mouthpiece for most people in public life, including athletes. The fact that political protests can also take place on these channels was demonstrated by many Nigerian athletes worldwide in October 2020
19.12.2020
Nigeria
Capital: Abuja
Languages: around 500 spoken languages; English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are the official languages
Population: 214 million
Did you know?
- Despite its 14 million inhabitants, Lagos is no longer the capital of Nigeria, but Abuja, although only about 3 million people live there. The economic center of Lagos is in the Christian-dominated south, while the north of Nigeria is strongly Muslim. The location of Abuja, which is centrally situated, was deliberately chosen when the capital was moved. Thus, it symbolizes equal access to political power for both parts of the country
- The second most expensive footballer in Africa comes from Nigeria. A transfer fee of 70 million Euros was paid for him in 2020. His name: Victor Osimhen
- At the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, athletes* from Nigeria took part part for the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics. It was actually the women's bobsleigh team that managesd to qualify
#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of the killer of an African American youth from Florida. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a international organization in the US, UK and Canada whose goal is to eliminate white supremacy and strengthen the voice of Black people in their respective countries. #BlackLivesMatter aims to intervene in the violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and its law enforcers. By combating and countering acts of violence, improvement in the lives of many Black people in the US, Canada and the UK, as well as globally, should happen. Black populations of various societies should be brought into focus through the protest movement. Due to the violent murder of the US American George Floyd by a police officer, the movement received a lot of media and social attention worldwide in 2020, as a result of which many people in the USA took to the streets to demonstrate. Elsewhere, whether in Germany or other parts of Europe, Black minorities also took to the streets.1
Protests in Nigeria: What are the reasons?
Not directly against the military, but against the emerging police violence in his home country, Nigerian Odion Jude Ighalo protested and thus drew the attention of the European football world to what was happening there in October 2020. The Manchester United player posted a moving video on Twitter after his team’s 2-1 win over Paris Saint Germain (see below) in which he takes a clear stand against government violence. The video was taken on the pitch immediately after the final whistle.
What happened in Nigeria?
Pray for NIGERIA🇳🇬✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/V7i4Ngs9qd
— Odion Jude Ighalo (@ighalojude) October 20, 2020
Pray for NIGERIA🇳🇬✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/V7i4Ngs9qd
— Odion Jude Ighalo (@ighalojude) October 20, 2020
Voices of top athletes in football Europe

I’m not the kind of guy who talks about politics, but I can’t keep quiet anymore about what is going on back home in Nigeria. I would say the Nigerian government: you are a shame to the world for killing your own citizens, sending military to the streets to kill unarmed protesters. […] I’m ashamed of this government. We are tired of you […] and we can’t take it […]
Odion Jude Ighalo
I LOVE NIGERIA, NIGERIA HAS GIVEN ME EVERYTHING even if it wasn’t in the easiest way, that is why I will also GIVE MY ALL in my own little way ...make it EASIER for the next generation. NA ALL OF US GATHER LOVE THIS COUNTRY but NOT HAPPY #SARSMUSTEND #EndPoliceBrutalityInNigeria
— ASISAT M.O.N (@AsisatOshoala) October 11, 2020
I LOVE NIGERIA, NIGERIA HAS GIVEN ME EVERYTHING even if it wasn’t in the easiest way, that is why I will also GIVE MY ALL in my own little way ...make it EASIER for the next generation. NA ALL OF US GATHER LOVE THIS COUNTRY but NOT HAPPY #SARSMUSTEND #EndPoliceBrutalityInNigeria
— ASISAT M.O.N (@AsisatOshoala) October 11, 2020
Pan-Africanism from the USA
The Nigerian, pan-African diaspora9 is not only evident in football Europe. Many US-American Nigerian athletes are reaching out to their community on Instagram and Twitter. Chiney Ogwumike, a professional basketball player in the USA, showed her support on Instagram via a video message, regarding the events of the Black Lives Matter movements originating in the USA: “What people don’t realize is that we are connected now more than ever before. We are finally realizing that we are more alike than we are different. […] Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. So right now, I am sending prayers and strength to Nigeria. Keep making your voices heard. We are with you.”10
What is diaspora?
- A diaspora describes an area or the existence of an ethnic, national or religious minority. Nigerian athletes live or work far away from Nigeria, but nevertheless form a kind of "dispersed community" that networks mainly through social media.
I pray a middle ground can be found 🇳🇬🙏🏾🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/xuOxy8Smmb
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyfjoshua) October 20, 2020
I pray a middle ground can be found 🇳🇬🙏🏾🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/xuOxy8Smmb
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyfjoshua) October 20, 2020
Sport and Politics - does that go together?
What is the point in representing the country if this is what the politicians, the people we are representing can do to us? […] I feel like this is the best thing to do right now until they get back to their senses and listen to us.
John Ogu

Sources
- #BlackLivesMatter: About (05.02.2018), retrieved from https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- ARD-Sportschau: Protest-Fäuste bei Olympia 1968 (02.06.2020), retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcKnUoW5SOY. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Deutschlandfunk, Buttler: Ein stummer Schrei nach Gerechtigkeit (16.10.2018), retrieved from https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/50-jahre-black-power-faust-ein-stummer-schrei-nach.890.de.html?dram:article_id=430672. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Deutschlandfunk, Facsar: Kritische Berichterstattung ist möglich, aber schwer (31.10.2020), retrieved from https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/endsars-proteste-in-nigeria-kritische-berichterstattung-ist.1264.de.html?dram:article_id=486746. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Deutsche Welle: Nigerias Präsident Buhari bestätigt viele Todesopfer bei Protesten (24.10.2020), retrieved from https://www.dw.com/de/nigerias-pr%C3%A4sident-buhari-best%C3%A4tigt-viele-todesopfer-bei-protesten/a-55381584. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- sozialismus.info, Nigeria: #EndSARS – Massenproteste gegen Polizeigewalt (15.10.2020), retrieved from https://www.sozialismus.info/2020/10/nigeria-endsars-massenproteste-gegen-polizeigewalt/. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Spox, Manchester United: Odion Ighalo bittet in emotionalen Beitrag um Hilfe für Nigeria (21.10.2020), retrieved from https://www.spox.com/de/sport/fussball/international/england/2010/Artikel/manchester-united-odion-ighalo-bittet-in-emotionalen-beitrag-um-hilfe-fuer-nigeria.html. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Nairametrics, Hakeem, #EndSARS: How Nigerian football players have reacted (21.10.2020), retrieved fromhttps://nairametrics.com/2020/10/21/endsars-how-nigerian-football-players-have-reacted/. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Nieswand: Was ist eine Diaspora? (05.02.2018), retrieved from https://www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/migration/kurzdossiers/264009/was-ist-eine-diaspora. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Yahoo Sports, Owens: Athletes plead for an end to Nigerian police brutality via #EndSARS campaign (22.10.2020), retrieved from https://sports.yahoo.com/athletes-plead-for-an-end-to-nigerian-police-brutality-with-end-sars-campaign-012705796.html. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Twitter, Kamaru Usman: „We need you now more than ever President Buhari“, retrieved from
- Africans In Sports, Aluko: Nigerian Athletes React To The Lekki Massacre In Lekki Nigeria (26.10.2020), retrieved from https://africansinsports.com/nigerian-athletes-react-to-the-lekki-massacre-in-lekki-nigeria/. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- BBC: End Wars protests: Midfielder John Ogu calls for Nigeria team boycott, retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54653312. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
- Deutsche Welle, Krepela: Wenn sich Sportler zur Politik äußern (14.10.2019), retrieved from https://www.dw.com/de/wenn-sich-sportler-zur-politik-%C3%A4u%C3%9Fern/a-50820133. Last accessed on 19.12.2020.
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