Nigeria returned from the 15th African Archery Championships in Oran, Algeria, with its best-ever medal haul, securing seven medals — one gold, five silver and one bronze. The championship, held from 21 to 26 July, featured 138 archers from 18 countries under the auspices of World Archery Africa.
Historic team gold
Nigeria’s standout achievement came in the barebow women’s team event, where Faith Adekogbe, Mandu Eteidung and Precious Fanny-Amun defeated hosts Algeria 5-3 in the final. This marked Nigeria’s first-ever team gold medal at the African Archery Championships. The victory capped an impressive campaign for the trio, who dominated their matches throughout the competition.
Adekogbe’s triple medal feat
Faith Adekogbe emerged as Nigeria’s most decorated performer, winning three medals. In addition to the team gold, she claimed individual silver after entering the final as the top seed. She defeated Algeria’s Malia Ait Messaoudene 6-4 in the quarter-finals and overcame compatriot Precious Fanny-Amun by the same score in an all-Nigerian semi-final. She settled for silver after losing 6-0 to Algeria’s Marwa Rahmoun in the final. Adekogbe also paired with Abubakar Usman to win silver in the barebow mixed team event.
Abubakar Usman finished the championships with two silver medals, contributing to the barebow men’s team silver won by Abdul Rahman Obasa, Abdulbasit Sanni and Usman, who finished runners-up to Algeria. Nigeria reached all three barebow team finals and the women’s individual final.
Compound success
Nigeria added three more medals in the compound events. The men’s team of Aliyu Abubakar, Seun Emmanuel Oyeleke and Damilola Bartholomew Sholademi defeated Algeria 205-183 in the semi-finals before losing 197-182 to Mauritius in the final to claim silver. The mixed compound team of Hareke Evans and Seun Emmanuel Oyeleke also reached the final after beating Algeria 143-102 in the last four but lost 142-138 to Namibia, earning another silver. Evans secured bronze in the compound women’s individual event, defeating Algeria’s Sihem Akli 129-90 in the third-place match. Oyeleke ended the championships with two silver medals.
Largest contingent
The Nigeria Archery Federation (NAFED) sent an 18-athlete delegation to Oran, the country’s largest contingent ever at the African Championships. The team competed across six divisions and was led by NAFED President Mohammed Baba Abdullahi, Vice-President Augustine Obiefuna Chigbolu, and coach Aliyu Garga. This performance builds on Nigeria’s recent progress, following medal-winning campaigns in Pretoria (2022), Nabeul (2023), and gold medals at the 2025 African Championships and the inaugural Run Archery Tournament in Abidjan.
Federation hails milestone
Reacting to the performance, NAFED President Mohammed Baba Abdullahi said, “Seven medals and our first team gold — this is the day Nigeria stopped competing to take part and started competing to win. And we are only just beginning.” The federation’s Director of Marketing, Emmanuel Oyeleke, who also competed, added: “Behind every medal in Oran are thousands of young Nigerians picking up a bow for the first time. With the right partners, we can turn today’s headlines into ranges, coaches and champions in every state. This is how a sport is built — and we’re inviting Nigeria to build it with us.” Oyeleke emphasized the need for stronger private sector support: “Our athletes have trained with discipline and sacrifice. What they need now is the backing of corporate Nigeria — partners who want to be part of a story of excellence at the very beginning of its arc.”
The federation called on corporate organisations, brands and individuals to support the national team through sponsorship, athlete development, equipment provision, travel logistics and media partnerships as it builds on its breakthrough in Oran.
