Apart from the pride of representing one’s country at a world-class, multi-sport fiesta, the Commonwealth Games give global exposure to athletes from diverse cultures and help build lifelong friendships in a festival-like environment that celebrates shared human values. GOWON AKPODONOR interrogates Team Nigeria’s build-up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, especially its dream of surpassing the country’s record of 12 gold medals.
The Friendly Games with High Stakes
It is often dubbed the “Friendly Games”, but for many athletes, the Commonwealth Games is more than a mere friendly affair. For elite athletes, the competition creates not only an opportunity for an individual story of triumph and resilience but also a rich, multi-layered experience. The joy of coming home with a medal or multiple medals tells a better story of a fulfilled dream, which makes affected athletes national icons and powerful motivators for youths. For others, the Games offer a pinnacle of joy, coming from stepping out in their national colours and uniting their homeland in a shared moment of inspiration.
For Nigeria, the Commonwealth Games serves as a platform for utilising the power of sport to achieve sustainable development goals, advance gender equality and strengthen diplomatic ties across the region. It also serves as an avenue for member countries to measure their sporting prowess against some of the world’s best teams. Recently, officials of the National Sports Commission, buoyed by the athletes’ recent performances in various competitions, boasted that Nigeria would win up to 16 gold medals in Glasgow.
Team Nigeria’s Best-Ever Performance
Team Nigeria’s most significant achievement at the Commonwealth Games came at the 2022 edition in Birmingham, England, where the country recorded its best-ever performance, finishing seventh overall and first in Africa with a haul of 35 medals (12 gold, 9 silver, and 14 bronze). Although some of the sports federations are yet to complete their trials ahead of the Games, Team Nigeria officials believe that the signs are good for the country to set a new mark at the Commonwealth Games. But the question many are asking is, ‘Is the dream achievable?’
As the country begins its countdown to the Games, billed to hold from July 23 to August 2, 2026, some of the nation’s athletes, especially the track and field stars, have started showing class, returning times that suggest that when all things align for good, they will dominate their disciplines in Glasgow. A few days ago, Kanyinsola Ajayi became the world’s fastest man in 2026, setting a new 100m national record during the NCAA East Regional meet in the United States. The 21-year-old Auburn University athlete produced the performance of his life to win his heat, qualify for the NCAA Championships, and erase a record that had stood for nearly two decades. His time of 9.84 seconds (0.4m/s) eclipsed the previous Nigerian record of 9.85s set by Olusoji Fasuba in 2006.
Many athletics followers feel that Ajayi’s 9.84 seconds is a huge statement ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The remarkable run also elevated Ajayi to the top of the global rankings for 2026, making him the world leader in 100m so far this season. Another Nigerian in the ascendancy in athletics is 400m runner, Samuel Ogazi, who on June 13 shattered a 39-year-old Nigerian 400m national record of 44.17s set by Innocent Egbunike in 1987. Ogazi produced one of the greatest performances in collegiate athletics history, storming to victory in the men’s 400 metres at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a breathtaking 43.38 seconds. In addition to the national record, Ogazi left the championships with a remarkable collection of accolades, including a personal best, collegiate lead, meet record, and championship record.
Many Nigerians believe that, with Ogazi’s trajectory continuing upward, he will be a star to watch at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the next World Athletics Championship. The question on the lips of many athletics followers across the globe is no longer whether Ogazi is talented, but how high his ceiling ultimately will be. He will face a stern test in Scotland, as the Jamaicans and Canadians are also competing in the Games.
Jamaican Threat and Nigerian Trials
Four years ago in Birmingham, five-time Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica captured gold medals in both the 100m and 200m events. Thompson-Herah has signalled her readiness for a return to elite championship competition after entering both the women’s 100m and 200m events at the Jamaican National Championships. The sprint star will be seeking qualification for Jamaica’s team to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, while also launching a bid to defend the sprint double she won in 2022, in Birmingham. While Jamaica’s National Trials are scheduled for June 18 to 21 at the National Stadium in Kingston, Nigeria’s track and field stars will gather at the Yaba Sports Complex for their National Trials between June 20 and 22.
If United States-based sprinter, Favour Ofili, fails to show up for the National Trials in Lagos, the task of challenging the 32-year-old Thompson-Herah for sprint medals in Glasgow will rest on the shoulders of Rosemary Chukwuma and other upcoming Nigerian athletes, such as Chidera Ezeakor, who has proven her worth in both 100m and 200m. Another young athlete, Rukewe Nwagbogwu, is expected to challenge the duo of Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro in the Long Jump event during the National Trials in Lagos. Defending champion in the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan is hitting peak form, dominating the event. She won gold at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana and also gave a good account of herself at the Diamond League in China and Morocco.
Lessons from the Past
The question many athletics followers are asking is: Will these athletes reproduce these times at the Commonwealth Games, given the country’s history in athletics? In the past, the country suffered the heartbreak of watching its athletes stutter when it mattered most after posting fantastic times in the regular season. Such iconic stars as Chidi Imoh, Olapade Adenikan, the Ezinwa brothers (Davidson and Osmond), and even the leader of the country’s delegation to the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, Yusuf Alli, often came up short in major international championships after dominating their fields in the regular season. In hindsight, having lived the sport, have Alli and his crew found the antidote to the failures of the past? That is what the NSC’s attitude suggests.
Wrestling and Weightlifting Prospects
Another sport that has given Nigeria much to celebrate in recent years is wrestling, in which the country has been dominant in recent Commonwealth Games. With Odunayo Adekuoroye and Blessing Oborududu, Nigeria is always assured of two gold medals in the sport. But both stars have retired from the sport. Worse still, Nigeria will not compete in the wrestling event in Glasgow. Weightlifting is one of the sports capable of producing many gold medallists, as an athlete can win up to three gold medals in a single event. And the weightlifting federation says it has athletes capable of going the whole hog. A total of 20 weightlifters and four coaches are currently in a national training camp in Abuja in preparation for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Notable athletes in the Abuja camp include Akwa Ibom’s Nyong Ruth Asuquo, Joseph Umoafia Edidiong, and Sammy Cosmos; Oyo State’s Rafiatu Afolashade Lawal, Taiwo Liadi, and Mary Taiwo Osijo, and a contingent from Bayelsa State, including Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele, Favour Omovigho Agboro, and Lucky Joseph.
Boxing Ambitions
Traditionally, boxing has always provided a clear path to medals for the country. Nigeria’s first medal at the Olympic Games was achieved by Nojeem Maiyegun in the 1964 Games. Since then, the country has won more medals in boxing than in any other sport. But how many of the country’s fighters are ready for the Commonwealth Games is not what many people know. Recently, the Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) selected a 10-athlete squad (five men and five women) and opened full camping in Abuja ahead of the Commonwealth Games. According to the NBF, the team is aiming to surpass its impressive four-medal haul from the previous Games. The final team emerged from a highly competitive selection process that featured over 120 boxers at the National Open Trials in Lagos, the NBF said, while listing the male athletes to include Abdul-Wahab Abdul-Ramon, Salawu Riliwan, Hassan Folly, Sarafadeen Fawas, and Daniel Joshua. The women are Happiness Udoette, Ajishola Kadijat, Aisat Gbadamosi, and Oraekwe Blessing. To ensure competitive sharpness, the NBF said that it has implemented rigorous bilateral and technical preparations, which entail the team travelling overseas for training camps and featuring in international competitions. The federation said that it is integrating technical advisors from Cuba to work directly with the coaching staff. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the country secured four medals in boxing, and officials believe the current wave of ranked fighters represents a significant upgrade in potential output.
Official Optimism and Challenges
Team Nigeria’s Chef de Mission to Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Yusuf Alli, has pledged a record-breaking performance for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games 2026, aiming to surpass 2022’s success. “Going by our projection, Team Nigeria should be able to win 16 gold medals in Glasgow. It can be more,” he told The Guardian. Also optimistic of a record-breaking outing in Glasgow is the NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade. He shares Alli’s projection of 16 gold medals: “If we get 16 gold medals in Glasgow, it is a record for Team Nigeria because at Birmingham 2022, Nigeria competed in more sporting events than the number we are taking to Glasgow. “But I have challenged Yusuf Alli, the athletes and the various federation officials to target more than 16 gold medals in Glasgow.” The AFN Vice President, Akuchukwu Chineze Aghazu, believes Nigerian youngsters like Ajayi, Ogazi and others have shown tremendous improvements in recent months. She said that Ogazi has not only cemented his place among the world’s leading quarter-milers, but has also highlighted his rapid development into a genuine medal contender ahead of the Commonwealth Games and other major championships.
Visa and Availability Concerns
Although the horizon looks bright for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games, it is also darkened by anxiety over the possibility that top United States-based athletes may miss the competition entirely. Apart from Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume, who have regular resident permits in the United States, stars such as Ajayi, Ogazi, Temitope Adesina, and Israel Okon, among others, may not make the Games due to visa issues. Their attendance at the Commonwealth Games depends on two major factors: passing the upcoming national trials and resolving travel concerns. The athletes’ ability to travel internationally has been called into question by rising U.S. immigration policy uncertainties and visa fears, meaning several U.S.-based Nigerian athletes could skip the Games to avoid jeopardising their ability to re-enter the country. Although the NSC has “reassured” the affected athletes that the country would ensure they obtain the required papers to return to the United States after the Games, one of the athletes recently said they are not taking any chances, especially now that they are close to securing their resident permits. Another athlete with doubts about her participation in the Commonwealth Games is Favour Ofili, who has vowed to continue her fight to secure the right to switch allegiance to Turkey. Ofili has vowed never to work with the current crop of AFN officials, which casts doubt on her availability for the Commonwealth Games.
