Favour Ofili Seeks to Switch Allegiance to Turkey Amid Fallout with Nigerian Athletics
Nigerian sprinting star Favour Chukwuka Ofili has formally initiated the process of switching her international sporting allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey, in what appears to be a significant move driven by frustration over repeated administrative failures within Nigerian athletics.
The application, which was filed with World Athletics on May 31, comes just months ahead of the World Athletics Championships scheduled for September in Tokyo. Though Ofili is still officially listed as representing Nigeria on the World Athletics’ registry, her camp has confirmed that the switch is already in motion.
Ofili, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s brightest sprint talents, has seen her career marked by both extraordinary achievements and deeply frustrating setbacks. Her decision to switch to Turkey is not motivated by financial gain, close sources said, but rather a direct response to consistent mismanagement by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
The 22-year-old had previously missed out on competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after Nigeria was disqualified from participating in certain track events due to failures in meeting World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) testing requirements. More recently, she was controversially left out of the women’s 100 metres entry list at the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite having met the qualification standard. That exclusion, reportedly due to late or incorrect documentation by Nigerian officials, proved to be the breaking point.
“These things shouldn’t happen at this level,” a source close to the athlete said. “She’s reached a stage in her career where professionalism, structure, and trust are non-negotiable. That’s what she’s looking for in Turkey.”
Ofili, who made history by running the fastest-ever 150-meter sprint (15.85 seconds) in Atlanta earlier this year, has already been in talks with Turkish athletics officials. She is optimistic about receiving clearance in time to represent her new country at the Tokyo World Championships in September.
However, the rules on switching nationalities in athletics are strict. World Athletics enforces a three-year waiting period from an athlete’s last representation of their original country unless both federations agree to waive it. It remains to be seen whether the AFN will facilitate her early release.
A native of Port Harcourt, Ofili first gained international attention as a teenage prodigy before going on to set records at Louisiana State University (LSU) and sign a professional deal with Adidas She currently holds the African record in the indoor 200 metres and the NCAA record in the outdoor version of the same event.
Her departure would mark a significant loss for Nigeria’s track and field ambitions, especially with the next Olympics cycle already underway. It also throws into sharp focus the challenges that Nigerian athletes continue to face due to administrative lapses and issues that have cost the country several podium finishes and rising stars in recent years.
If cleared, Ofili will join a growing list of top African athletes who have changed nationality to seek better support systems abroad.
As of now, the ball lies in World Athletics’ court and possibly in the hands of Nigerian sports authorities on how swiftly or begrudgingly the transition will proceed.
