There will be no official federal government delegation to the London Olympics next month.

The Minister of Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this known while briefing state house correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

The Sports Minister who briefed the council on the performance of Nigeria at the African Athletics Championships where the country came first on the table and set three new African records said the move was to save cost and get the athletes focused.

He said the decision was meant to stop the practice of turning such events to jamborees for government officials.

Dispatching large federal government delegations to accompany sportsmen and officials to major sporting events has been a practice in the country for several years.

Apart from the huge cost in estacodes, transport, accommodation and logistic bills, the delegations often comprise government officials with little or nothing to do at the sporting event and they end up engaging in shopping sprees or distracting the athletes.