The Chinese Embassy has refuted allegations that it postponed the issuance of visas for Nigerian athletes who intend to compete in the Guangzhou, China, 2025 World Athletics Relays.
China blames the development on a miscommunication about the timeframes for processing visas.
The team’s withdrawal from the competition, which was originally set for May 10–11, 2025, was previously attributed by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to Chinese authorities’ slow processing of visas.
However, in a statement released in Abuja, the Chinese Embassy apologized for the athletes’ absence but insisted that it had responded to the Nigerian National Sports Commission’s request for assistance in a timely and effective manner.
“The Embassy received a letter from the National Sports Commission of Nigeria (dated 22 April) requesting assistance in processing visas for Nigerian athletes to participate in the event in China,” the statement says. The Embassy contacted the Commission very away and gave it instructions on how to get the necessary paperwork ready to speed up the visa application process.
The Nigerian athletes’ pertinent application papers were received by the China Visa Application Center on May 6. On May 8, the Embassy finished issuing the visas after promptly initiating the expedited process and giving the Nigerian applicants the best support possible.
The Embassy emphasized its ongoing dedication to promoting bilateral cooperation in people-to-people interactions and sports.
It stated that obtaining a visa is a matter of national sovereignty and calls for appropriate paperwork and fair processing times that adhere to global norms.
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“The Embassy of China in Nigeria has consistently supported people-to-people and sports cooperation between the two countries, repeatedly expressed its welcome for Nigerian athletes to participate in events in China, and consistently assisted Nigerian citizens in applying for visas in an efficient and professional manner,” the statement continued.
Notably, issuing visas is a matter of national sovereignty, and all foreign embassies demand that applicants submit the necessary paperwork and materials and give themselves enough time to complete the application process.
“We regret that the Nigerian athletes were unable to compete in this year’s event in China, but the AFN’s statement is obviously not accurate.”
The Embassy expressed disappointment that the athletes did not participate, but it also described the AFN’s claims as untrue and reaffirmed its willingness to support future Chinese-Nigerian sports collaborations.
