All African Games: Nigeria's performance at African Games, the secret stories of passion, resilience and dedication

No doubt the successful outings of Nigerian athletes at the just-concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana, is an untold story of individual brilliance laced with passion for the country, dedication to sports, and resilience put up by the athletes.

Penultimate to the 13th African Games, the umbrella body in charge of sports in Nigeria, an affiliate of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), announced a delegation of 358 athletes to represent Nigeria at the 13th African Games in Ghana.

According to the NOC, the 358 athletes would participate in 25 sports at the event.

The spread of the contingents for the African Games, as published by the NOC, shows that Athletics has the highest number of athletes representing Nigeria, with 50 individuals, followed by football with 40 participants. Hockey and Volleyball have 32 and 24 athletes, respectively.

Arm wrestling has 15 athletes, while Taekwondo, wrestling, and karate each have 14 representatives.

Weightlifting and badminton have 12-member teams, while boxing has 11 pugilists, judo 10, and scrabble 8 members.

The number of athletes per event:

Arm Wrestling – 15 athletes

Athletics – 50

Badminton – 12

Basketball 3 x 3 – 4 female

Beach Volleyball – 4

Boxing – 11

Chess – 4

Cricket – 15

Cycling – 12

Hockey – 32

Football – 40

Handball – 14

Judo – 10

Karate – 14

Mixed Martial Arts – 4

Rugby – 16

Scrabble – 8

Swimming – 4

Table Tennis – 10

Taekwondo – 14

Tennis – 8

Triathlon – 4

Volleyball – 24

Weightlifting – 12

Wrestling – 14.

The breakdown of the contingents clearly shows that Team Nigeria has fully taken cognizance of the sports in which the country has a comparative edge. Thus, much attention was given to its numbers.

While Nigeria also finished second at the last African Games held in Rabat, Morocco, with 46 gold medals, 33 silver laurels, and 48 bronze medals, making a total of 127 medals, the just-concluded 13th African Games was not too far in numbers from the previous one. Team Nigeria garnered 120 medals with a breakdown of 47 gold, 33 silver, and 40 bronze medals across 25 sports at the competition.

However, the only unique thing comparatively between the 2019 African Games in Morocco and the one held in Ghana was that Nigeria had one gold medal more than the previous one.

In 2024, Nigeria won 47 gold medals compared to the 46 the country had in 2019, while also winning 33 silver, the same as the previous one. However, Nigeria won more bronze medals in 2019, 48 compared to the just-concluded games, which fetched the largest black nation in the world 40. So Nigeria won 8 more bronze medals in 2019 than in 2024.

Since the gold medal counts more, Nigeria has an advantage and further pushed the rest of Africa behind, albeit still trailing Egypt, which has won the competition a record eight times (1965, 1973, 1987, 1991, 2007, 2015, 2019, and 2023).

Nigeria, on the other hand, has only won the African Games once when the country hosted the games in Abuja, while the country has come second about six times.

The story of the performances of Nigerian athletes in recent times cannot, however, be predicated on the contributions of the Nigerian government, but on the patriotic attitudes displayed by the athletes standing behind the dignity of the country and ready to spill blood in her defense.

In the 13th African Games, Weightlifting produced Nigeria’s highest medal haul. The team garnered 32 medals with an astonishing 16 gold, 10 silver, and six bronze medals.

Why was Nigeria so successful in weightlifting? The answer is simple: the team was bankrolled by an individual while the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation has been up and doing with or without government support.

No doubt for years, weightlifting has been one of the selling points for Nigeria in sports, and the team has never faltered either in the main event or the powerlifting event.

Nigeria is blessed with dependable athletes, especially females in the mold of Adijat Olarinoye, Ruth Ayodele, Joy Eze, and Rafiatu Lawal.

The trio of Adijat Olarinoye (55kg), Rafiatu Lawal (59kg), and Edidiong Umoafia (67kg) alone won a combination of nine gold medals in their respective classes on the first day, while Nigeria’s weightlifters continued their dominance in the weightlifting event as Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze won three gold medals each in their 64kg and 71kg classes, respectively.

Ruth Ayodele snatched the 64kg gold as well as clean and jerk and total. She lifted 94kg in snatch, 144kg in clean and jerk, and a total of 208kg to claim all three gold at stake.

For Joy Eze, who is competing in her second African Games, she moved up to a new weight category and became a champion in it. She was exceptional in her new 71kg category, claiming all three gold medals by snatching 90kg, 117kg in clean and jerk, and a total of 207.

Before the official opening ceremony, Team Nigeria, specifically the table tennis team, had started the competition on a low note, failing to match their performance five years earlier when the team won two gold, four silver, and four bronze medals for a total of ten medals.

Another event Nigeria excelled in was Athletics, which was Nigeria’s second most productive sport at the Games, with 22 medals won.

Omolara Ogunmakinju was the name on everyone’s lips at the University of Ghana, Legon, the venue of the game’s athletics event, after anchoring Team Nigeria’s 4x400m mixed relay and 4x400m ladies relay to victory.

Ogunmakinju dragged Nigeria back from the dead to win gold after running the race of her life to not only reduce the distance between Nigeria and Botswana but also pass a Botswana rival on the final stretch, sending the entire stadium into a frenzy. The mother of two didn’t stop there as she went on to win another gold in the women’s 4x400m relay.

Nigeria extended her dominance in athletics after finishing top of the final medal standings with 21 medals – 11 gold, six silver, and four bronze.

Perhaps Nigeria took the best model by anchoring her hopes on the brilliance of the world record holder in women’s 100m hurdles, Oluwatobiloba Amusan, where she was put in four events. It eventually yielded the desired result as Amusan won her third consecutive gold at the African Games and inspired the women’s 4x100m relay team to win the gold medal.

Amusan emerged as one of the standout stars who brought prestige to the African Games in Ghana. As a former world champion and the current world record holder, she embarked on a determined mission and executed it flawlessly.

She recorded a time of 12.89 seconds in Ghana, securing victory in the 100m hurdles and achieving a remarkable feat of winning three consecutive African Games gold medals, a first in Games history. She then played a pivotal role in leading the women’s 4x100m relay team to gold, resulting in her accumulating four gold medals across three appearances at the African Games.

Also, in the women’s 4x400m quartet, which comprises of Esther Elo Joseph, Patience Okon George, Brittany Ogunmoku, and Omolara Ogunmankinju, the event was a smooth sail as they faced no stiff opposition but rather chased down a season's Best (SB) of 3:27.29s to win the gold ahead of Zambia (3:31.85) and Botswana (3:33.44).

One personality of note in the women’s 4x400m quartet is the U.S-based Brittany Ogunmokun, who also starred in the Mixed Relay, Women’s 4x400m Relay, and Women’s 400m.

Ogunmokun, after five years of serving in the US military, returned to the tracks and chose to represent Nigeria. In her African Games debut, she was part of the gold-winning 4x400m women’s team. Ogunmokun aims to improve her race times as she seeks a bigger challenge at the Paris Olympics.

Just like their women counterparts, the men’s 4x400m (Emmanuel, Ojeli, Samson Nathaniel, Sikiru Adeyemi, and Chidi Okezie) also clocked Nigeria’s fastest time in the event in two decades to claim the Bronze with a time of 3:01.84 behind Zambia (2:59.12) and Botswana (2:59.33).

Not done in the field event, another undeniable personality who has now ruled Africa for a record six years in the Shot put event, and to also put it that he is the reigning African Games Champion and Games Record Holder, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi.

The stoutly built Enekwechi was able to retain his title from 5 years ago with a distinguishing mark of 21.06m, the only mark beyond 21 meters. This win now extends Enekwechi’s dominance on the Continental scene to six years.

For 20-year-old Chidi Okezie, it was time to perform better than his bronze medal at the 2019 Games to win the gold medal in the men’s 400m to become the first Nigerian man to win this title since the great Innocent Egbunike in 1987.

Since becoming part of the Nigerian team in 2016, Okezie has set his targets of becoming a continental champion.

However, the moment he has been waiting for finally arrived in Ghana, where he delivered an impressive performance in the men’s 400m final, sprinting to a Personal Best (PB) time of 45.06 seconds.

For Chidi Okezie, the time has come to put to rest his misses and finally win an individual gold after many years.

In Ghana, Okezie achieved a remarkable victory by defeating Muzala Samukonga from Zambia, one of the world’s fastest men over this distance, to secure the gold medal.

Okezie had not run a 400m race indoors or outdoors this season before the tournament. The African Games served as a season-opening, and he didn’t fail to make his mark known.

Okezie’s winning time is the fastest winning time at the African Games since Issac Makwala’s 44.35s at the Brazzaville Games in 2015. The time also sends him to number 10 on the all-time list of Nigerian male quarter-milers.

In Ghana, Nigeria also had an outstanding athlete in 25-year-old Obiageri Amaechi in Women’s Discus Throw.

At the game, Amaechi proved herself to be the newly minted champion for Nigeria, as she secured the top spot for the country in the women’s Discus Throw.

Her last throw was the high point as she soared to victory with an impressive Personal Best (PB) of 58.93m, clinching the coveted gold medal.

Also in the track event, the ever dependable Ese Brume proved her worth in the Women’s Long Jump.

Brume, no doubt, is always considered one of Nigeria’s most reliable medal contenders, and she lived up to the hype in Ghana. The soft-spoken jumper successfully defended her long jump title, leaping to a distance of 6.92m (+3.9m/s).

Unfortunately, the strong tailwind prevented this distance from being a record. Notably, Brume became the second Nigerian woman, after Modupe Oshikoya (1973 and 1978), to win consecutive long jump titles at the African Games.

Another star is Usoro Ruth, a 26-year-old Women’s Triple Jumper who had a memorable African Games debut, grabbing the gold medal in the Triple Jump event. With a winning leap of 13.80m, she became the third Nigerian woman (after Rosa Collins in 1995 and Grace Anigbata in 2019) to win a triple jump title at the Games. This distance also equaled the altitude-aided winning mark set by Collins 29 years earlier.

Another interesting athlete of note is Olajide Olayinka who got a complete medal set at her first national assignment, after almost closing down on Gambia’s Gina Bass (23.13s) to take the silver in 23.18s. Olayinka is the only Nigerian athlete, male and female, to win three medals at the African Games after running in 100m, 200m, and relays.

Another memorable moment for athletics was Nigeria’s victory in the men’s 4x100m relay, avenging their defeat to Ghana in 2019.

One of the quality stars in Nigeria's 4x400m mixed relay race is Emmanuel Ojeli.

Ojeli was a bronze medalist in the 4x400m men’s relay at the 2019 African Games but had his golden moment in Ghana, where he claimed gold after he contributed significantly to Nigeria’s victory in the Mixed Relay, helping set a new African record in the process alongside 25-year-old Adeyemi Sikiru in the Men’s 4x400m Mixed Relay.

While Adeyemi did not win an individual medal, he emerged as the Men’s 400m Champion at the national trials leading up to the African Games. He then played a crucial role in Nigeria’s record-breaking triumph in the 4x400m Mixed Relay.

In the field event, Chinecherem Nnamdi Prosper won the men’s Javelin Throw with a Personal Best and National Record of 82.80m, making him the first Nigerian Javelin thrower in 29 years to ever accomplish such a feat.

Blessing Oborududu and Odunayo Adekuoroye were pristine in the wrestling event and also earned Nigeria 11 medals.

Nigeria had a total clean sweep at the Wrestling event in Ghana as Olympics silver medalist Blessing Oborodudu and world champion Odunayo Adekuoroye sparked Team Nigeria’s gold rush in the women freestyle wrestling at the ongoing 13th All African Games in Ghana.

The Nigerian women freestyle wrestlers were in total dominance winning six gold medals out of possible six that were at stake.

Olympic silver medalist Blessing Oborodudu led by example as captain of the Nigerian wrestlers to defeat Blandine Nyeh Ngiri of Cameroon 14-4.

Multiple world medalists Odunayo Adekuoroye followed in Blessing’s footsteps by beating Zineb Hassoune of Morocco with a pinfall.

Commonwealth champion and multiple African champion Mercy Genesis did not disappoint as she dispatched her Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Nada of Egypt 7-0.

African Games debutant Ogunsanya Christiana produced a dominant display in the 53kg to outclass her opponent Nogona Bakayoko of Cote d’Ivoire 11-0.

Hannah Reuben added more celebration to the already agog atmosphere after she defeated Amy Youin of Core d’Ivoire.

While Nigeria won eight gold medals in a day in boxing, the story of success in boxing cannot be completed without mentioning those that made the feat possible in the era of 24-year-old Omole Dolapo in Men’s 57kg.

This fierce competitor is well on his way to fame, having already secured a qualifying spot for the Paris Olympics. Omole’s victory was particularly impressive as he dominated the final fight against Mozambique’s Armando Rugoberto Sigauque.

His compatriots, Onyekwere Ifeanyi also lived up to the expectations in Men’s 92+kg as he claimed a gold medal.

Determined to redeem himself after a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, Onyekwere delivered on his promise by winning gold in Ghana. He battled through a challenging match against Alo Mike Mansogo from Equatorial Guinea to secure the heavyweight title.

While the UK-based Olaore Olaitan in Men’s 92kg also made Nigeria proud by securing gold for Nigeria in the men’s 92kg boxing final with a powerful knockout victory over Kevin Kuadjovi of Togo. He has also already qualified for the Paris Olympics, where he aims to reach the podium.

In the female category, Cynthia Ogunsemilore reigns supreme, winning her 60kg final against Algeria's Khelif Hadjila at the Africa Boxing Qualifiers in Dakar.

Ogunsemilore, aged 21, having already secured her spot in the Paris Olympics, arrived in Ghana to solidify her status as one of Africa’s best in her weight class. She dominated the women’s 60kg final, leaving no doubt in her dominance with a decisive 5-0 win over Rahma Mafouz Ibrahim of Egypt.

While Ojo Nene in Women’s 57kg earned Team Nigeria’s first boxing gold medal through an unusual turn of events. Her Algerian opponent, Selmoun Chahira, failed to show up for their scheduled bout, resulting in a walkover victory.

For punch for Punch Oraekwe Blessing in Women’s 70kg, her boxing journey began with local competitions in Nigeria before progressing to international tournaments. Her hard work and dedication paid off in Ghana as she claimed gold in the women’s 70kg category.

She faced stiff competition in the final bout against Fatima Ousseini from Niger but managed to secure a close victory with a 3-2 split decision.

While the boxing event was a remarkable success, it also highlighted some of the challenges faced by Nigerian boxers, including inadequate funding and training facilities. Despite these obstacles, Nigerian boxers have continued to excel on the international stage, showcasing their talent and determination.

In Taekwondo, Ifeoluwa Ajayi in the male +87kg and Uzoamaka Otuadinma in the female +67kg were instrumental in Nigeria’s success at the Games. Ajayi and Otuadinma both won gold medals in their respective weight categories, showcasing their skill and athleticism on the international stage.

Ajayi, who has previously represented Nigeria at the African Games and World Championships, delivered a dominant performance in the men’s +87kg category, defeating his opponents with ease to claim the gold medal.

Otuadinma, a rising star in Nigerian Taekwondo, also impressed in the women’s +67kg category, showcasing her speed and agility to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

In the Karate event, Nigeria was represented by a talented group of athletes who showcased their skills and determination on the international stage. The team achieved success in both the kata and kumite events, with several athletes winning medals in their respective categories.

In the Women’s 55kg category, Chiamaka Onumonu delivered a standout performance, winning the gold medal in the kumite event. Onumonu showcased her skill and determination, defeating her opponents with precision and agility to claim victory.

In the Men’s 67kg category, David Akpan also impressed, winning the gold medal in the kumite event. Akpan demonstrated his strength and technique, dominating his opponents to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Karate event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

While Nigeria also showcased its dominance in the Badminton event, the success of the Nigerian Badminton team at the African Games in Ghana was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes.

The team delivered standout performances in both the men’s and women’s events, winning medals in both singles and doubles competitions.

In the Men’s Singles event, Anuoluwapo Opeyori delivered a dominant performance, winning the gold medal and showcasing his skill and athleticism on the international stage.

Opeyori demonstrated his talent and determination, defeating his opponents with ease to claim victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

In the Women’s Singles event, Dorcas Adesokan also impressed, winning the gold medal and showcasing her speed and agility on the court.

Adesokan delivered a standout performance, defeating her opponents with precision and skill to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Badminton event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

While Nigeria also showcased its dominance in the Tennis event, the success of the Nigerian Tennis team at the African Games in Ghana was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes.

The team delivered standout performances in both the men’s and women’s events, winning medals in both singles and doubles competitions.

In the Men’s Singles event, Sylvester Emmanuel delivered a dominant performance, winning the gold medal and showcasing his skill and athleticism on the court.

Emmanuel demonstrated his talent and determination, defeating his opponents with ease to claim victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

In the Women’s Singles event, Oyinlomo Quadre also impressed, winning the gold medal and showcasing her speed and agility on the court.

Quadre delivered a standout performance, defeating her opponents with precision and skill to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Tennis event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Table Tennis, Nigeria maintained its dominance in the sport by winning gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events.

Aruna Quadri continued to impress on the international stage, winning the gold medal in the men’s singles event and showcasing his skill and athleticism on the table.

Quadri delivered a standout performance, defeating his opponents with ease to claim victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

In the women’s singles event, Offiong Edem also impressed, winning the gold medal and showcasing her speed and agility on the table.

Edem delivered a dominant performance, defeating her opponents with precision and skill to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Table Tennis event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Volleyball, Nigeria’s women’s volleyball team also made the country proud at the African Games in Ghana, winning the gold medal in the women’s volleyball event.

The team delivered a standout performance, defeating their opponents with ease to claim victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Volleyball event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Handball, Nigeria’s women’s handball team also made the country proud at the African Games in Ghana, winning the gold medal in the women’s handball event.

The team delivered a dominant performance, defeating their opponents with precision and skill to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Handball event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Basketball 3x3, Nigeria’s men’s basketball 3x3 team also made the country proud at the African Games in Ghana, winning the gold medal in the men’s basketball 3x3 event.

The team delivered a dominant performance, defeating their opponents with precision and skill to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Basketball 3x3 event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Beach Volleyball, Nigeria’s women’s beach volleyball team also made the country proud at the African Games in Ghana, winning the gold medal in the women’s beach volleyball event.

The team delivered a standout performance, defeating their opponents with ease to claim victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Beach Volleyball event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Swimming, Nigeria’s swimmers also made the country proud at the African Games in Ghana, winning medals in various swimming events.

The team delivered standout performances, showcasing their skill and athleticism in the pool to secure victory and add medals to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Swimming event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s swimmers, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Rugby, Nigeria’s rugby team also made the country proud at the African Games in Ghana, winning the gold medal in the rugby event.

The team delivered a dominant performance, defeating their opponents with precision and skill to secure victory and add another gold medal to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Rugby event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes, who continue to excel on the international stage.

In Gymnastics, Nigeria’s gymnasts also made the country proud at the African Games in Ghana, winning medals in various gymnastics events.

The team delivered standout performances, showcasing their skill and athleticism on the floor to secure victory and add medals to Nigeria’s tally.

Overall, Nigeria’s success in the Gymnastics event was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s gymnasts, who continue to excel on the international stage.

Nigeria’s remarkable success at the African Games in Ghana was a testament to the talent and dedication of the country’s athletes across various sports. Their achievements showcased Nigeria’s position as a powerhouse in African sports and highlighted the potential for continued success on the international stage.