Dynamic Athletics

Three-time Olympian and African Games champion, Omolara Ogunmakinju, has applauded the organisers of the Niger Delta Games, describing the competition as a vital platform for discovering and showcasing the next generation of athletes from Ondo State and the wider Niger Delta region. Ogunmakinju, who represented Team Nigeria with distinction at the 2024 African Games in Ghana, noted that the Niger Delta Games aligns perfectly with the long-standing tradition of sporting excellence associated with Ondo State. Ondo has produced several outstanding athletes who have gone on to represent Nigeria at the highest levels of international competition. These include Omolara Ogunmakinju herself, Folashade Abugan, Etim Margret, Opeyemi Oke, Oloye Josephine, as well as male standouts such as Femi Ogunode, Seun Ogunkoya, Isiaq Adeyanju, and Lawrence Adegbehingbe, among others. Speaking on the significance of the Games, Ogunmakinju emphasized its role in talent discovery and regional development. “The...

The starting gun has sounded early, and Nigerian athletics is already charging into what promises to be a defining year. With a comprehensive and far-reaching 2026 competition calendar, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has firmly set the tone for one of its most ambitious seasons in recent history, signaling a renewed determination to reclaim the nation’s place on the global athletics stage. Spanning grassroots development, elite competition, and international exposure, the message is unmistakable: Nigerian athletics is back on the front foot. The season begins with athlete registration and affiliation exercises before transitioning seamlessly into a series of major domestic competitions. These include the AFN/Agroterra 10km Cross Country Race, the AFN Golden League, National Championships, Kids’ Athletics Series, elite relay meets, and regional events scheduled across Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Uyo, Benin City, and other key hubs nationwide. The calendar is not merely packed, it is ...

Team Nigeria has delivered one of its most memorable international performances at the 15th Open African Masters Athletics Championships in Tunisia, which concluded yesterday, November 25th, 2025. With a small but mighty delegation of just nine athletes, Nigeria finished a remarkable second overall, trailing only the host nation, Tunisia, in a competition that featured 23 African countries and nine non-scoring nations including Spain, Germany, France, Japan, Barbados, and Russia. Their collective brilliance produced an astounding medal haul of 18 Gold, 5 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals, marking a historic moment for Masters athletics in Nigeria, especially as the nation had been conspicuously absent from international Masters competition since 2019, until this triumphant return in 2025. The championship was filled with inspiring displays of versatility and excellence. Nigeria’s dominance began in the field events, where Christian Aiyegbeni (M45) delivered a breathtaking all-round performan...

Team Nigeria Athletics delivered a blistering Wednesday night performance at the Solidarity Games in Riyadh, sweeping gold, silver and bronze in a show of force that left the stadium buzzing and the continent on notice. The star act came from the women’s 4x100m relay quartet of Bada Iyanu, Ezechukwu Miracle, Maria Thompson and Nweke Cynthia, who powered to gold with a commanding display of speed, chemistry and pure Nigerian grit.  Their baton exchanges were crisp, their finish ruthless, a statement run that underlined Nigeria’s relay pedigree. Veteran quartermiler Patience Okon George produced a masterful race to storm to silver in the women’s 400m, pulling away with her trademark late surge.  On the men’s side, Badmus Gafari fought through a stacked field to secure a well-earned bronze in the 400m final. It was a medal rush that ignited the Nigerian camp and AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa could not hide his pride. “This is a sign of glad tidings,” Okowa said. “We’re using...

 Charles Himah Showers Praises on NSC DG Bukola Olopade for Outstanding Performance in One Year Former Nigerian athletes' representative and one-time personal assistant to the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, Charles Imah, has lavished praise on the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, commending his remarkable achievements within just one year in office. In his words, Imah described as “the best ever Commissioner of Sports in Nigeria’s history.” “Hon. Bukola Olopade. I tagged him the Best Ever Commissioner of Sports in Nigeria History. During the preparations for the Gateway Games 2006 when he was Commissioner, he camped athletes across all sports for over 11 months, almost a year. We initially thought it was because Ogun State was hosting the National Sports Festival, but he did it again ahead of KADA Games 2009, camping athletes for 16 long months (one year and four months). That’s a record, an...

AFN’s New Board: Getting the Right Rhythm By Dr. Kola Oredipe “The time is always right to do what is right.”  -  Martin Luther King Jr. That timeless quote perfectly captures the resolve of the new board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), a team determined to sustain the growth of athletics, attract corporate sponsorships, and build future champions for the nation. Under the leadership of Chief Tonobok Okowa , a seasoned sports administrator now serving his second term as AFN President, the new board comprises technocrats, academics, public servants, experienced coaches, ex-international athletes , and other professionals, a blend of expertise and passion rarely seen in Nigerian athletics governance. A Fresh Beginning for Nigerian Athletics This new assemblage signals a fresh start. The members are committed not only to improving athletes’ welfare but also to making the right investments in grassroots talent development , ensuring that young Nigerians are...

The Athletics community in Nigeria has been set abuzz with mixed reactions following the endorsement of Mrs. Maria Worphil’s appointment to the Executive Board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) by Olalekan Soetan, the Southwest Zonal Representative and member of the AFN Technical Committee. In what began as a congratulatory message from Soetan welcoming Mrs. Worphil, who joined the AFN Board as the representative of the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), quickly spiraled into a heated debate among athletics stakeholders, ex-athletes, and administrators on Facebook. Veteran former athlete and UK lawyer Oyiki Orode was among the first to question the legitimacy of AFFAN’s role and representation, saying:  “Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN). When was this body formed? Of all the arrays of former athletes we have, it is a former handball player that is qualified to represent them as Executive member of the AFN? If this is not an ...