Yan Nigeria
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has dismissed growing speculation surrounding sprinter Favour Ofili’s alleged defection to Turkey, asserting that she remains a proud representative of Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday at a World Press Conference in Abuja ahead of the Confederation of African Athletics U-18 and U-20 Championships, Olopade, who also chairs the Local Organising Committee, emphasized that there has been no official confirmation of any nationality change for the track sensation.
“Favour Ofili is still representing Nigeria. She wrote to the NSC two months ago, reaffirming her commitment to compete for Nigeria,” Olopade stated. “When I resumed as DG of the NSC, I called her personally and she confirmed her allegiance to Nigeria.”
Olopade also highlighted that Ofili is among 69 athletes who received financial grants from the NSC in April 2025 as part of ongoing national development initiatives, further affirming her active status as a Nigerian athlete.
“There has been no official communication from any international federation or national body indicating that she has switched allegiance. As far as the NSC is concerned, she remains a Nigerian athlete,” he added.
The NSC’s clarification comes amid widespread media reports suggesting that Ofili, holder of the women’s 150m world record and a key medal prospect for Nigeria, was considering transferring her allegiance to Turkey. The development had stirred heated debate within Nigeria’s athletics community.
Reacting to the reports, President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, expressed dismay and acknowledged past shortcomings in supporting the athlete.
“If this is true, it is sad, disheartening and painful,” Okowa said. “But we are yet to get any official statement from her or from World Athletics. She is old enough to decide what’s best for her, but it is painful and hard to take for us.”
Should Ofili choose to switch allegiance, World Athletics regulations would require a mandatory three-year waiting period before she becomes eligible to compete for Turkey in major events, due to her participation for Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Such a move would see Ofili join a growing list of Nigerian-born athletes who have gone on to represent other nations, including Francis Obikwelu (Portugal), Gloria Alozie (Spain), Florence Ekpo-Umoh (Germany), Femi Ogunode (Qatar), and Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain).
There have been persistent reports of the Turkish Athletics Federation offering lucrative incentives to lure top foreign athletes, a trend that continues to impact the athletic talent pipeline in Africa.
As of now, World Athletics continues to list Ofili as a Nigerian athlete on her official profile. She is also among those qualified for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, scheduled from September 13 to 21.
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