Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili will compete for Turkey

Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili will officially compete for Turkey amid years of neglect and administrative lapses by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC).

The decision comes after the 22-year-old Favour Ofili was barred from competing in the 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics despite meeting the qualifying standard. The AFN and NOC failed to register her name, a painful repeat of what happened in 2021, when she also missed the Tokyo Olympics after the federation and anti-doping authorities failed to provide the necessary doping test protocols – a mistake that also affected 13 other Nigerian athletes.

Favour Ofili reportedly began the process of changing her nationality on May 31, 2025 and has officially informed the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of her disappointment. She has stated categorically that her decision was not motivated by financial reasons but was the result of the AFN’s continued neglect.

Despite these repeated failures, the same AFN leadership was re-elected in June 2025, further cementing her decision to leave. Favour Ofili holds personal bests of 10.93 sec in 100m and 21.96 sec in 200m and recently finished sixth in the 200m final at the Paris Games.

Favour Ofili’s departure is a stark example of the growing disconnect between Nigerian athletes and the institutions meant to support them.