Administrative negligence may fast-track Ofili’s switch to Turkey

Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili is at the center of a growing debate over athlete welfare and national allegiance, as she seeks to represent Turkey in international competition—potentially without serving the standard three-year waiting period mandated by World Athletics.

The 22-year-old, who has long been one of Nigeria’s brightest track prospects, has reportedly filed for a transfer of allegiance to Turkey. Her case is currently under review by the Nationality Review Panel (NRP), the independent body within World Athletics responsible for evaluating such requests.

While the rules typically require athletes to wait three years after their last appearance for their former country, exceptions can be made in cases involving “exceptional circumstances”—and Ofili’s legal team is reportedly building a case around administrative negligence by Nigerian sports authorities.

Among the grievances cited:

Ofili was excluded from the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite meeting qualification standards.

She also missed the Tokyo 2020 Games due to Nigeria’s failure to comply with anti-doping testing protocols, which led to the disqualification of several athletes.

These incidents, if substantiated, could be interpreted by the NRP as systemic failures that harmed the athlete’s career and violated her right to fair representation.

According to World Athletics’ Transfer of Allegiance Regulations, the NRP has the authority to waive or shorten the waiting period if it determines that the athlete’s welfare was compromised or that the former federation acted in bad faith.

World Athletics has confirmed that it has received four applications from the Turkish Athletics Federation, including Ofili’s, but emphasized that none have been approved yet.

If successful, Ofili could be cleared to compete for Turkey as early as the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, a move that would not only reshape her career trajectory but also reignite conversations about athlete rights, national accountability, and the ethics of talent migration in global athletics.