By Favour Ofili
Nigerian sprinter seeks nationality switch to Turkey
Summary
- Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has applied to switch international allegiance to Turkey, citing years of administrative neglect
- The 22-year-old was excluded from two Olympic events due to repeated failures by Nigerian sports authorities
- Her decision, though reportedly not financially motivated, has sparked national debate and renewed calls for reform
Abuja, Nigeria – Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili has applied to transfer her international allegiance to Turkey, a move that has sent shockwaves through the country’s athletic community.
Ofili’s decision, reportedly submitted to the Athletics Integrity Unit on May 31, 2025, stems from what she described as persistent neglect and administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC).
Ofili, 22, holds the Nigerian and world best in the rarely-run 150m (15.85 seconds), along with impressive personal bests of 10.93 seconds in the 100m and 21.96 seconds in the 200m.
Despite meeting the qualifying standard for the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, she was not entered due to a filing error by the AFN and NOC, echoing a similar debacle at the Tokyo 2020 Games when she was barred from the 200m event due to non-compliance with anti-doping protocols.
Sources close to the athlete suggest that Ofili’s choice was driven by years of frustration rather than financial gain, although unconfirmed reports indicate she could earn between $500,000 and $1,000,000 from the switch.
Turkey’s aggressive recruitment of elite international athletes, including Olympians from Jamaica, reflects a strategic push to elevate its standing at global competitions.
While Ofili has yet to make an official public statement, her move has reignited debate in Nigeria. Some stakeholders accuse her of abandoning the country that nurtured her talent, while others point to the chronic mismanagement within Nigerian athletics as justification for her decision.
As of now, World Athletics still lists her as a Nigerian athlete, and under current rules, she would be ineligible to compete for Turkey for three years unless a waiver is granted by both nations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
This latest development underscores the urgent need for reforms in Nigeria’s sports administration, with critics arguing that systemic failures continue to undermine the potential of the nation’s top athletes.
