7 Nigerian Athletes Who Rose From African U20 Championship To World/Olympic Podiums

As the African U18 and U20 Athletics Championships reach their halfway mark in Abeokuta, young Nigerian athletes are not just chasing medals—they’re chasing legacy.

And they need not look far for inspiration. Nigeria’s track and field history is rich with athletes who began their journey on the continent’s junior stage and rose to become Olympic and World Championship medalists.

Here are seven shining examples—role models whose stories prove that greatness can begin on African soil.

Deji Aliu
In 1994, Deji Aliu stormed to double gold in the 100m and 200m at the African U20 Championships, announcing himself as Nigeria’s next sprint king. That same year, he won World Junior gold in the 100m and silver in the 200m.

A decade later, he anchored Nigeria’s bronze-winning 4x100m relay team at the Athens 2004 Olympics. With a personal best of 9.95s, Aliu remains one of Nigeria’s fastest men ever and a beacon for young sprinters.

Francis Obikwelu
Before switching allegiance to Portugal, Obikwelu won silver in the 400m at the 1994 African U20 Championships for Nigeria. He later became World Junior Champion in both the 100m and 200m in 1996.

He won a 200m bronze medal for Nigeria at the World Athletics Championships in 1999 in Seville, Spain.

His crowning moment came at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won silver in the 100m, setting a European record of 9.86s. His story is complex, but his roots are Nigerian—and his rise began on African tracks.

Fidelis Gadzama
Gadzama’s breakthrough came at the 1997 African U20 Championships in Ibadan, where he won gold in the 400m. Three years later, he was part of Nigeria’s 4x400m relay team that won Olympic gold at Sydney 2000, following the disqualification of the USA.

His journey from junior champion to Olympic glory is a testament to the power of early exposure and national support.

Glory Alozie
Alozie won silver in the 100m hurdles at the 1995 African U20 Championships, and quickly rose to global prominence. She claimed silver at the 1999 World Championships, silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and multiple medals at the World Indoor Championships.

Her African record of 12.44s stood for over two decades. Alozie remains one of Africa’s most decorated hurdlers.

Olabisi Afolabi
In 1994, Afolabi clinched gold in the 400m at the African U20 Championships and followed it up with World Junior gold in Lisbon. She was part of Nigeria’s silver-winning 4x400m relay team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and competed in multiple World Championships.

Her consistency and quiet strength made her a pillar of Nigeria’s golden generation of quarter-milers.

Ese Brume – The Leaper of a Generation
Brume won long jump gold at the African U20 Championships in 2013 and 2015, and added triple jump gold in 2015. She has since become Nigeria’s most consistent global medalist: Olympic bronze in Tokyo 2020, World Championship silver in 2022, and Commonwealth gold in 2014 and 2022.

Her African record of 7.17m places her among the world’s elite.

Tobi Amusan
Amusan’s rise began with gold in the 100m hurdles at the 2015 African U20 Championships. She went on to become World Champion in 2022, setting a world record of 12.12s in the semifinals.

She’s also a Commonwealth Games double gold medalist, Diamond League champion, and the first Nigerian to win a world title in athletics. Her journey from junior gold to global dominance is the stuff of legend.