Since I was a young boy, I've always loved early morning exercise. I have always loved the morning jog because of the rush of endorphins flowing through my bloodstream. It stimulates your brain and gives a sense of well-being. I love swimming so much that whenever I travel, whether in Nigeria or the UK, I always want to find a swimming pool where I can swim to my heart's desire.
Since a swimming pool consists of many parts and needs specialist expertise for maintenance, it could be very expensive. On the surface, it looks just like an ordinary body of water. But it's much more complex than that. The water has to be clean, which means a good, reliable, constant source of clean water; it has to be pumped, filtered, chlorinated, and replenished, which means reliable electricity and good plumbing services. Hence, few places in the developing world can meet all these criteria. Then there are the complexities of water chlorination and temperature regulation, which are sciences in their own right. Then there is regular access to equipment or chemicals with the necessary infrastructure. It is a powerful metaphor: if a society can't sustain something recreational or symbolic, such as a swimming pool, it reflects deeper issues in infrastructure, governance, or resource allocation.
I have been throughout the UK, from the far north in Scotland to the south-east in England. There are swimming pools scattered all over the place. The latest data says there are about 4,257 public and commercial swimming pools. This number covers pools in health clubs and public sites. For private or home pools, the estimates are much less reliable, with the number reaching the millions. The Romans had a thing for swimming and for men's gymnasiums. Hence, when you go to famous Roman cities like Bath in the UK, you will see extensive public baths. But the Victorians saw it as part of moral and physical education. Plus, the rise of the middle class meant more leisure time and demand for safe, supervised swimming spaces. The Victorians also had industrial advances and social reform, and they were great engineers who built things to last. Some of the swimming pools I had the privilege of swimming in were built in the Victorian era, date back more than a hundred years, and are still in good condition in some towns and cities. When working in Edinburgh, I had the advantage of swimming in the 50-metre Commonwealth Olympic-size swimming pool built between 1967 and 1970 every morning, which was wonderful. The morning swimming sessions usually start around 6:00 am. I have a swimming bag just for my swimming gear, body lotions, soap, etc. That reminds me: as a regular swimmer, you must take care of your skin because the chlorine in the water ages anyone quickly, and you MUST apply lotions and creams after you have washed it off.
As a child, I lived in a small town in northern Nigeria, next to the River Niger. We lived in an estate built for expatriates, which included a social club, a pub, a football field, lawn tennis courts, and a swimming pool. The swimming pool was being maintained well after most of the expatriates had left. That is where a lot of us learned how to swim. Like my father, who learnt to swim with his mates in the local lake and river, mine was also unsupervised and took place after the pool had officially closed. When I informed my father that I had learnt to swim, he immediately said that I should show him; he took me to the pool in his car for a quick demonstration. I guess he remembered me almost strangling him when he took me to the swimming pool as a child. But after a while, the condition of the swimming pool continued to deteriorate; the temperature was not optimum, but as children we did not really care. But then the water began to change colour and algae started growing in it; I believed by this time it had become a general health hazard, and after linking some deaths to the swimming pool, the authorities decided to close it down and drain all the water. Later, I went to the University of Ibadan, which was renowned for its public swimming pool. Throughout my time there, the swimming pool was drained. In a university that found it difficult to maintain its own pumps and taps and had to rely on a regular supply of water brought in from outside to flush and clean its own toilets. Having and maintaining a swimming pool would be totally out of the question and seen by the authorities as a case of misplaced priorities. Some years back, we had the advantage of holding my university reunion at a moderate hotel in Ibadan that boasted a swimming pool as one of its selling points; the pool was not deep, and at most it was about waist-high. While I was there, there was no lifeguard, and no one else was swimming. Each morning I was there, whenever I asked, the lifeguard had "mysteriously" just disappeared, and it seemed like they were part of the furniture or there to give the hotel a modern look and feel.
Maintaining a fully functioning swimming pool is costly, so clients are discouraged from swimming or using the pool's facilities. And yes, the presence of trained, certified lifeguards is part of the service. In the UK, we had to miss sessions because one of the lifeguards was either sick, absent, or late. Usually, there are at least 2 lifeguards for the small swimming pool and 3 for the larger one, with an extra lifeguard on site in case of an emergency. One is sitting on the lifeguard stand overlooking the pool, and the others are in the adjacent office by the pool. The lifeguard courses are monitored by the government, and there is a body to ensure that all the members have a lifeguard licence. This is to ensure the lifeguard has completed an accredited course covering all elements of pool rescue techniques, lifeguarding theory, first aid, and CPR. The Royal Life Saving Society UK's (RLSS UK) NPLQ is the most awarded lifeguard qualification in the UK and Ireland and is also internationally recognised.
During my NYSC (Nigeria Youth Service Corps – a one-year compulsory service that all Nigerian graduates are required to complete), I had the advantage of being posted to Shiroro, Niger State, Nigeria. It was also built for expatriates and had an Olympic-size pool, but by the time I got there, it was in disrepair, with green algae growing in the standing water. Throughout my time there, I avoided the swimming pool and instead did a morning jog. Maintaining and keeping a functioning swimming pool requires expertise and money.
At the Olympic Games, a country's medal count reflects its development and resources. Some complex sports, such as sailing, fencing, equestrian sports, gymnastics, and swimming, require specialised equipment, technical training, and substantial infrastructure. These sports tend to be dominated by wealthier and more developed nations. Swimming, for example, requires that the nation have swimming pools, regular potable water, and a reliable power supply – in short, infrastructure. Some people would say that if a nation were surrounded by water, had plenty of rivers and lakes, or had access to the sea, its people would be better swimmers, but it would also need a culture of regular, active swimming. So the West Indians would be believed to be high on the swimming events medal table, but instead focus on track and field, where they outshine other nations. But it is seen as a missed opportunity given the natural advantage and the pool of talent in those regions. Hopefully, we might see more Caribbean swimmers on the podium in the future. People could do their training there, but open-water swimming is very different: currents, obstacles, and varying conditions can affect rhythm and stamina.
Nigeria's Olympic swimmers have historically included standout talents like Tobi Sijuade (50m freestyle, 2024) and Abiola Ogunbanwo (100m freestyle, 2020), who have made waves on the global stage. Ogunbanwo became Nigeria's first woman to swim under one minute in the 100m freestyle, while Sijuade qualified for the 2024 Olympics. Despite Nigeria having several swimming pools, such as those at the National Stadium in Lagos, Bauchi's Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, and the Kano Aquatics Centre, these facilities often fall into disuse or lack consistent maintenance. As a result, many of Nigeria's Olympic hopefuls have had to train abroad, especially in countries like Australia, Russia, and the UK, where world-class facilities are available.
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