The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, has lavished praise on Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her unwavering commitment to the development of women’s sports in the country, describing her support as a driving force behind the continued success of Nigeria’s female athletes on the continental and global stage.

Olopade made the commendation as the First Lady received Nigeria’s triumphant women’s wrestling team, who returned from the 2026 African Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, Egypt, with a historic haul. The team clinched an unprecedented 15th continental title in the women’s category, winning eight gold and two silver medals across the competition’s 10 women’s events a performance that underlined Nigeria’s enduring dominance in the sport on the African continent.

Overall, Team Nigeria finished with nine gold, four silver and three bronze medals across all categories, one of the country’s finest showings at the championship.

The victorious wrestling contingent was first received at the National Sports Commission before being presented to the First Lady during the Power of 10 Million Women event held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. It was a fitting stage for the occasion, given Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s long-standing association with initiatives that uplift Nigerian women across various fields, sports included.

Olopade noted that the First Lady’s encouragement has been a consistent and motivating presence behind the scenes, giving Nigeria’s women athletes the confidence to compete and excel. “The First Lady’s special commitment to Nigerian sports has played a big role in the continuous success of the country’s women athletes at various continental and global competitions,” he said.

The Nigeria Wrestling Federation President and Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, echoed similar sentiments, dedicating the team’s gold medals to the First Lady’s inspirational role in motivating young Nigerian women to pursue their dreams. He praised the athletes for carrying the national flag with distinction in Egypt, noting that the country’s anthem rang out four out of five times the championship anthem was played during the competition a remarkable testament to Nigeria’s dominance in Alexandria.

President Bola Tinubu also joined in the celebrations, congratulating the team and describing the victory as a reflection of a broader shift in Nigeria’s sporting culture one built on discipline, structure and long-term athlete development.

He singled out wrestlers Mercy Genesis, Adijat Idris, Esther Asaolu and Mercy Adekuoroye for their standout contributions, while noting that the work of the National Sports Commission under Olopade and Chairman Shehu Dikko is beginning to bear fruit in a systematic and deliberate way.