Favour Ofili, one of Nigeria’s most promising track stars, is on the verge of officially switching her allegiance to Turkey, a move the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, has confirmed.
During a press briefing at the 2025 National Athletics Championship held at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Mr Okowa sounded the alarm over the deepening crisis of athlete exodus from Nigeria to better-funded foreign programmes.
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“I can tell you that most of our elite athletes are already being approached by other countries to change their nationality and allegiance,” he said.
“And as we speak, Favour Ofili has been taken by the Turkish Federation.”
The Ofili departure: A heavy blow ahead of Tokyo 2025
The revelation comes at a critical time, just months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Although Ofili’s name still appears under Nigeria on the World Athletics website, federation insiders confirm the switch is “imminent.”
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A US-based sprinter and Olympic finalist, Ofili has long been regarded as a pillar of Nigeria’s sprinting future. Her departure mirrors a familiar and troubling trend: one that previously saw Francis Obikwelu (Portugal), Gloria Alozie (Spain), and Femi Ogunode (Qatar) all abandon Nigeria in search of better support systems.
“They put money on the table”: Why Athletes are leaving
Mr Okowa didn’t shy away from the financial realities driving Nigeria’s elite athletes into foreign hands.
“The kind of money they put on the table to get her is not something many athletes would refuse,” he explained.
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“That is why we are pleading with Nigeria as a nation and our government to come out and support us, so we don’t keep losing our athletes.”
Reports suggest Turkey now offers up to $500,000 in incentives to top-level athletes willing to switch allegiance, an offer that far exceeds what most Nigerian athletes receive in support throughout their careers.
AFN’s plea: “The Government cannot do it alone”
While the issue of talent drain isn’t new, Mr Okowa emphasised that inadequate funding remains AFN’s most urgent problem, calling on private sector sponsors to step in before more talents follow Ofili’s path.
“We need more sponsors to come on board and support the welfare of these athletes,” he said.
“That is our most urgent issue. The government cannot do it alone.”
Talent is not the problem; retention is
Despite the setback, Mr Okowa praised the depth of talent at the national championships, particularly in the men’s 100 metres event.
“Our boys have come of age, and they are performing well. They are in shape now,” he said.
“When they went to Oregon, many questions were raised because they had just moved to the US. But now, they are excelling in the NCAA system and winning events. So we must ask ourselves, what are we doing to keep them?”
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The way forward?
Ofili’s impending switch to Turkey should serve as a wake-up call for concerned authorities across Nigerian athletics.
For Mr Okowa and the AFN, the message is clear: without structured funding, consistent support, and corporate backing, Nigeria will continue to lose its brightest stars to countries that offer them what their homeland cannot: stability, opportunity, and respect.
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