From World Relays qualifications to glowing performances in meets, AFN and Olopade’s synergy is working

Not just the qualification of six teams for the World Relays, athletics has given us more to smile about than to cry in the last twelve months. Members of the sports family attribute this to the healthy collaboration between the AFN and the Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, Olukayode Thomas reports 

Introduction

 For members of the athletics family in Nigeria, the years 2023 and 2024 are ones we want to forget in a hurry.

These were years we participated in our sports' biggest and best championships and games, and we failed to make the podium.

At the 2023 edition of the Christmas of athletics, the World Athletics Championships, we failed to make the podium.

And in 2024, an Olympics year in the city of love, we were banking on athletics to rescue the nation as it did in the previous games in Tokyo, but a miracle failed to happen as the athletics team and the entire contingent failed to make the podium.

Athletes’ first policy as a game-changer

Then came Olopade, the new Director General of NSC, with President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda in Sports and the Commission’s first policy for its athletes.

This policy stipulated that athletes’ welfare- training in a conducive environment, good accommodation, balanced diet, payment of allowances and bonuses, and cash awards- is a priority.

This policy definitely changed our athletes' mindset in many junior and intermediate games and championships.

But many believed their feats would not be repeated at major championships and games.

Tokyo World Championships and Riyadh Games

 We were pleasantly surprised as Tobi Amusan returned us to the podium with a silver in the 100m hurdles at the Tokyo 205 World Championships.

 She ran 12.36s to win her semi-final and went on to win Nigeria’s first and only medal at the Championships, a silver medal.

Also in Tokyo, Ezekiel Nathaniel won his semi-final, clocking 47.47s, before producing a career-best 47.11s in the final to set a new Nigerian national record; he finished fourth.

Nathaniel became the first Nigerian man in 38 years to reach a 400m hurdles final at the World Championships. Another good performance was Kanyinsola Ajayi, setting a personal best of 9.88s in his heat, then running 9.93s to finish second in the semi-final, securing a place in the final.

He went on to become the first Nigerian man in 18 years to reach a World Championships 100m final, where he eventually placed 6th.

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also finished 5th in the men’s shot put final. Team Nigeria finished 27th on the medal table.

Team Nigeria proved its performance in Tokyo World Championships was no fluke as its under-strength team at Riyadh 2025 Islamic Games recorded the country's best-ever performance, finishing 8th overall with 30 medals (11 gold, 12 silver, 7 bronze), and athletics recorded a standout win in the 4x100m relay.

Six teams at the World Relays

Athletics continue to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians, and when news filtered in last week that the AFN and the NSC have received official confirmation from World Athletics, clearing all six of Nigeria’s relay teams for participation in the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026, the joy could not be contained.

According to media reports, the clearance, which was communicated by World Athletics Head of Sport Services Carlo De Angeli, allows Team Nigeria a maximum of six athletes per event.

 For Nigeria, it represents more than administrative approval — it is the clearest sign yet of the country’s resurgence on the global athletics stage.

The championships, scheduled to take place this May in Gaborone, will see Nigeria compete across the full spectrum of relay disciplines, following successful qualifying campaigns.

The disciplines are: Men’s 4x100m, 4x400m, Women’s 4x100m and 4x400m and Mixed 4x100m and 4x400m

And the following athletes fly the Team Nigeria flag at the World Relays: 4×100 Men Enoch Adegoke, Favour Tejire Ashe, James Taiwo Emmanuel, Chidera Ezeakor, and Tejire Godwin. 4×400m Men: Ezekiel Enoh Azukwo, Gafari Badmus, Victor Ime, Samson Nathaniel, Emmanuel Ojeli, and Chidi Okezie. 4×100m Women: Jenifer Chukwuka, Rosemary Chukwuma, Miracle Ezechukwu, Rosemary Nwankwo, Blessing Ogundiran, and Maria Thompson Omokwe. 4×400m Women: Anita Enaruna, Patience Okon George, Toheebat Jimoh, Taiwo Mary Kudoro, Jecinta Lawrence, and Esther Okon.4×100m Mixed: Enoch Adegoke, Rosemary Chukwuma, James Taiwo Emmanuel, Chidera Ezeaku, Miracle Ezechukwu, and Blessing Ogundiran. 4×400m Mixed: Sikiru Adewale Adeyemi, Anita Enaruna, Patience Okon George, Toheebat Jimoh, and Emmanuel Ojeli Chidi Okezie.

Homegrown talents among the world's best

It’s just the fourth month of the year, but good tidings kept filtering in tons.

The sweetest was the feat of homegrown Blessing Ogundiran’s world-leading 10.98s in the 100m in the South Florida Invitational.

The Warner University freshman not only clinched victory but also broke her NAIA record of 11.21s, setting a new benchmark in collegiate athletics.

Ogundiran is one of only two women worldwide to dip under the 11-second barrier this year, alongside Jamaica’s Shanoya Mikalia Douglas.

Elsewhere, another homegrown talent, Ella Onojuvwevwo, opened her season with a blistering run at the Battle of the Bayou, setting a new 400M personal best of 49.59 seconds.

Based on reports in the media, she recorded the fastest Nigerian women’s 400m time since Falilat Ogunkoya in 1998, and became the first Nigerian woman to run sub-50 seconds since 1999.

The performance placed her seventh on the African all-time list and fourth on Nigeria’s all-time performers list.

Earlier in the Indoor, Onojuvwevwo won the 400 meters final in 50.92 seconds ahead of Dejanea Oakley at the 2026 SEC Indoor Championships.

 She also ran a new African indoor 400 metres record in the preliminary round, running 50.28 seconds, before placing third in the final in 50.76 seconds behind Oakley and Madison Whyte.

Glowing performances by Nigerians in the NCAA

Team Nigeria athletes also did well in the NCAA.

In the Big 12, Temitope Adeshina of Texas Tech continued her dominance in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.96m to win gold.

Adeshina was named the US track and field women's field athlete of the year for the mountain region.

Samuel Ogazi won NCAA titles in record-breaking fashion and secured 4x400m relay success.

Ogazi's standout performance came in the SEC, where he rewrote the history books in the men’s 400m.

The 19-year-old stormed to gold in 44.72s, setting a new African record and Nigerian national record in the process.

His time eclipsed the previous continental mark of 44.74s set last year by Ezekiel Nathaniel, while also securing the conference title emphatically.

Kayinsola Ajayi of Auburn added to the historic tone of the championships in the men’s 60m, clocking 6.45s to win gold.

 Tima Godbless also ran a 10.91s in the 100m at the 2026 NCAA Eastern Championships, while Success Umukoro won the silver in the women's 60m (7.21s).

Alli says it's not by happenstance

The Chief Executive Officer of NSC Elite and Podium Board, Yussuf Alli, revealed that positive change in the fortune of athletics is due to the acumen of Olopade, the DG of NSC.

‘‘It’s not by chance, it is due to strategic planning by the DG working with AFN officials and my board. When Olopade first mentioned the Athletes First Policy, many athletes and even officials were sceptical, but when we went for the first championships and the athletes and officials got all their camp allowances, winning bonuses, and other packages, they started to believe in the words of the DG.

‘‘These are motivated to train harder, since they know a handsome reward awaits them if they make the podium, and they are also guaranteed their allowances and bonuses.’’

Alli, a former captain of Team Nigeria in many games and championships, also revealed that Nigerian athletes, irrespective of where they are based, get grants to support their training.

‘‘But it is not just about money; all the athletes have the DG’s telephone numbers. They can call him at any time to discuss their problems and challenges, and he also calls them regularly to discuss with them. Then my colleague Mary Onyali and I, being former competitors who have competed at the highest level at home and abroad, are also in touch with them regularly’’.

Grassroots and local circuit

Alli also revealed that the DG of NSC is not just thinking about podium appearances, but he is planning for the future.

‘’You and I know that an Elite Athlete Development Programme takes about eight years or more. We are working with all the states and schools, and we are fashioning out a great programme that will change the face of local athletics.

‘‘The DG is on top of the project and the Grassroots Department of NSC, but because of my experience, I also joined them from time to time. It was the idea of the DG to give special talents among the budding stars international exposure at a very early age and that was why he took them to international competitions in Algeria and Angola last year and Nigeria’s decision to host the Africa Secondary School Championships, I am assuring Nigerians that current synergy between AFN and the DG will be sustained and it will take athletics to greater height’’ said Alli, a former Commonwealth Games champion and former Africa record holder in long jump.