Nigeria’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa, has criticised the failure of sports administrators following the reported nationality switch of top sprinter Favour Ofili from Nigeria to Turkey.
Ajunwa responded to the growing trend of elite athletes leaving Nigeria for other countries, saying the mass migration revealed deeply ingrained leadership flaws inside the country’s sports federations.
“The Nigerian sports federation needs a lot of work,” Ajunwa posted on her official X account.
“Losing Nigerian citizens to other countries like Turkey is a sign of bad leadership. From athletics to football and other sports, we have amazing talents who end up winning medals and flying the flags of other countries,” Ajunwa added.
Ajunwa’s remarks came amid criticism over Ofili’s alleged plan to represent Turkey, just months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The development provoked uproar among fans and stakeholders, particularly given the athlete’s status as the women’s 150m world record holder and one of Nigeria’s best medal prospects.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Ajunwa made history as the first Nigerian to win Olympic gold and the first Black African woman to do it in a field event.
Ajunwa, a former footballer who represented Nigeria in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, is the only woman to have competed in both the Olympics and the senior women’s World Cup.
Her criticism adds to the chorus of dissatisfaction after Athletics Federation of Nigeria president Tonobok Okowa confirmed that the federation will not stop Ofili from changing national allegiance, despite his dismay at the choice.
Okowa conceded that the AFN had failed the 22-year-old sprinter on several occasions but said the federation had taken steps to keep her in the national fold, including the payment of training funding earlier this year.
“If this is true, it is sad, disheartening and painful,” Okowa stated.
“But we are yet to get any official statement from her or from World Athletics on her request. She is old enough to decide what’s best for her, but it is painful and hard to take for us.”
Ofili, a multiple national record holder and former NCAA star, is thought to have told the Athletics Integrity Unit of her desire to compete for Turkey, expressing dissatisfaction with Nigerian sports administration.
If World Athletics confirms the transition, Ofili will join a growing line of Nigerian athletes who have represented other countries in key international tournaments.
These are Francis Obikwelu (Portugal), Gloria Alozie (Spain), Florence Ekpo-Umoh (Germany), Femi Ogunode (Qatar), and Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain).
