Nigeria delivered a spectacular performance on the final day of the African U-18/U-20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta, sweeping the podium in both the girls’ and women’s 200m events while shattering long-standing records in the relays.
Miracle Ezechukwu led the charge, securing her third gold medal of the tournament with a personal best of 23.87 seconds in the U-18 200m final. She was joined on the podium by teammates Chigozie Nwankwo (24.01s) and Perezide Sigah (24.26s), completing a clean sweep for the host nation.
“I’m grateful to my coach and everyone who supported me. This championship has been a dream come true,” said Ezechukwu, who also won gold in the 100m earlier in the competition.
Nigeria repeated the feat in the U-20 women’s 200m, with Success Oyibu storming to victory in 23.56 seconds, another personal best. She was followed by 100m champion Chioma Cynthia Nwoke (23.95s) and Lucy Nwankwo (24.24s), ensuring Nigeria claimed all six available medals across the two sprint categories.
“It was God and the hard work from our training camp that made this possible,” Oyibu said after her triumph.
The relay teams also delivered historic performances. Nigeria successfully protested an initial disqualification in the U-20 men’s 4x100m, with the quartet of Saliu Toyeeb, Joachim Uyovwiyoma, John Caleb, and Malik Oluwatobi reinstated as gold medalists—Nigeria’s third consecutive title in the event.
The women’s U-20 4x400m team of Odot Udo, Toheebat Jimoh, Anita Enaruna, and Favour Onyah set a new championship record of 3:37.02, smashing a mark that had stood since 1997.
Nigeria capped off the evening in style as the U-20 men’s 4x400m team—Victor Sampson, David Akhalu, Gafar Badmus, and Ezekiel Asuquo—also set a championship record with a blistering 3:06.66.
Other standout performances came from South Africa’s Mukona Manavhela, who won the U-18 boys’ 200m (21.29s), and Botswana’s Justice Oratile, who completed a sprint double in the U-20 category by adding the 200m title (21.02s) to his 400m gold.
The championships concluded with Nigeria reaffirming its status as a powerhouse in African youth athletics, leaving fans hopeful for the future of the sport in the country.