With barely two months to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Nigeria stood the risk of not having a relay quartet at the Games, unless urgent steps are taken to reverse the situation.
The country's second position at the African Athletics Championships in Brazzaville early last month, may not be good enough to qualify the relay team for the Beijing Games.
The quartet in the continental championships was not Nigeria's ' A' team.
Athletics sources told Xinhua on Thursday that although the Nigerian 4x100 male and female teams' finished tops at the last All Africa Games in Algiers, the performances were not good enough to qualify the country for the Games.
The country's relay teams have till July to qualify for the Games and that will require taking part in meetings and maintaining their standard to be among the top 16 teams in the world.
The International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF) directs that results attained at National Trials, Regional Championships, Group Games and other approved meets will be valid for qualification for the Olympics.
The forthcoming Mobil/AFN Athletics Championships fall into the category of the championships that are valid for qualification for the Olympics relays.
Among the relay races still left on the IAAF calendar before the Olympics are the Olympic Meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece on July 9, Rethynno Women relays in Lucerne, Switzerland on July 16, the Praga Academica in Prague on July 9 and the 4x400m National Permit in Namur, Belgium.
Sunday Bada, AFN Technical Director, confirmed that Nigeria would have to take part in relay meets to enhance the country's chances of being among the top 16 in the world.
Bada said the men's 4x100 meters quartet was through to the Games as well as the women's 4x400 meters.
"It is an ongoing thing, an in and out situation. The men's 4x100 is 10th in the world while the men's 4x400 is 17th, one place out of the top," he said.
"That means we have to do more relays to be back among the top 16," the Olympiad said.
Bada confirmed that all the relays would be included in the Abuja Grand Prix.
