The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Nigeria has countered a claim made by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), which attributed its withdrawal from the Guangzhou World Athletics Relays—set to take place in China from May 10 to 11—to delays in visa issuance by Chinese authorities.
The embassy expressed regret over the inability of Nigerian athletes to participate in the event but maintained that the AFN's statements did not align with the actual circumstances. In a statement released on Saturday, the embassy explained that the delay stemmed from the Nigerian authorities, who took over ten days to furnish the necessary documents for visa processing that had been requested by the embassy.
The embassy reaffirmed its commitment to fostering friendly relations between the Chinese and Nigerian peoples and expressed its willingness to continue supporting exchanges and collaboration across various sectors, including sports. The statement detailed: "The Embassy of China in Nigeria wishes to clarify the following facts. On April 24, the embassy received a letter from the National Sports Commission of Nigeria (dated April 22) requesting assistance with visa processing for Nigerian athletes participating in the event in China. "Upon receipt, the embassy promptly engaged with the Commission to facilitate the preparation of the necessary materials to expedite the visa applications. "On May 6, the China Visa Application Centre received the required application materials from the Nigerian athletes. The embassy swiftly initiated the expedited processing, offering maximum support to the Nigerian applicants, and completed the visa issuance by May 8. "The Embassy of China in Nigeria has actively supported people-to-people and sports cooperation between our two nations, consistently welcoming Nigerian athletes to events in China and efficiently assisting Nigerian citizens with visa applications. "It is important to emphasize that visa issuance falls under national sovereignty, and all foreign embassies require applicants to submit appropriate documentation and allow adequate time for the application procedure. "We regret that Nigerian athletes were unable to participate in the event in China this time; however, the AFN's statements are clearly at odds with the facts," the embassy concluded.