2026 African Athletics Championship: 41 member Team Nigeria leaves for Accra
By Uzor Odigbo
Team Nigeria, comprising 41 athletes will depart for the African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, on Monday to participate in the six-day event between May 12 – 17, 2026.
The foreign-based athletes are flying straight to Accra and as of today, Sunday, a number of them have arrived.
In a press statement, the delegation led by the President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, is made up of seventeen male and twenty-four female athletes to compete in twenty six track and field events.
The contingent, a blend of foreign and Nigerian-based athletes is under the technical guidance of AFN’s Technical Director, Gabriel Okon and 9 other coaches including National Head Coach, Solomon Aliyu (Hurdles), Olu Sule- horizontal jumps, Deji Aliu, Sprints, Gabriel Opuana, Throws, Kolawole Adebayo, Vertical jumps, Saheed Akinpelu-L/Sprints, Mavuah Esabunor, S/Sprints, Pade Lawal (female) sprints and Henry Okorie (Ath Rep).
Top among the Nigerian athletes for the championships are world record holder, Oluwatobi Amusan for 100m Hurdles, sprinter Rosemary Chukwuma, sprinter Favour Ashe, quartermiler Chidi Okezie, Obiageri Amaechi(Discus), and Olatoye Oyesade (Hammer).
The list includes youngsters who made the country proud in the recently concluded World Relays in Gaborone: Godwin Tejiri, Miracle Ezechukwu, Rosemary Nwankwo, and Toheebat Jimoh.
Nigeria is making a resurgence into the middle and long distance races fielding athletes across 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m Steeple Chase and 5,000m.
While James Comfort Anietie will compete in the 800m women, rising star Aderonke Akanbi will participate in both 1,500m and 3.000m Steeple Chase for women.
Gang James Boyi, who has dominated Nigeria’s 10km races in the past one year is representing the country in the 1,500m and 5,000m men at the championships.
