Nathaniel, Adeshina Top List Of 5 Naija Athletes Tipped To Break Barriers In 2025

The 2025 outdoor season is already in full swing, and expectations are high following the impressive performances of some Nigerian athletes in the indoor season that ended with the spectacular 20th World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China last Sunday.

Tima Godbless, Israel Okon, Joy Udo-Gabriel, Success Umukoro, Kanyinsola Ajayi, and Nathaniel Ezekiel set new lifetime bests that could be considered world class.

Godbless’ 7.08 run in the 60m event is the fastest a Nigerian has run in 11 years and the seventh fastest in the world in 2025.

Auburn University duo of Okon and Ajayi ran times that lifted them into the Nigerian all-time top 4, with the former equaling the 6.48 Nigeria record Deji Aliu ran way back in 1999.

Nathaniel was also involved in dishing out head-turning performances as he made history as the first Nigerian nay African man to break 45 seconds in the 400m indoors.

Outdoors, Nigerians are hoping the athletes mentioned here and many others will continue to run or throw or jump more than ever before.

Courtesy Complete Sports, we take a look at five Nigerian athletes capable of breaking new grounds, achieving what no other Nigerian has done in the history of track and field in their respective events.

Nathaniel Ezekiel:
Ezekiel made history as the first Nigerian and African man to run a sub 45 seconds over the 400m indoors. The 21-year-old has been tipped to also become the first Nigerian to break 48 seconds in the 400m hurdles, his main event.

Ezekiel came close to achieving that when he ran 48:00 in Waco, Texas in May 2024.

Samuel Ogazi:
Quiet indoors after making his debut in the 300m in January, the Paris 2024 Olympics finalist is believed to be the only Nigerian man capable of running inside 44 seconds, a feat the legendary Innocent Egbunike could not accomplish.

At only 18, Ogazi incredibly ran inside 45 seconds six times last year and looks capable of running a sub 44 seconds this season if he stays healthy.

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi:
The greatest shot putter in Nigeria’s history, Enekwechi has made it to the finals of the World indoor and outdoor championships, the Diamond League final and the Olympics.

What he has not done is to hit the 22m mark in the event, a feat no Nigerian shot putter has ever done. But Nigerians are confident he can throw that far. The 32-year-old holds a lifetime best of 21.91m, just nine centimeter of becoming the 41st man in the world to do so.

Temitope Adeshina:
Reigning NCAA indoor champion in the high jump, Adeshina is aiming to achieve what Doreen Amata was unlucky not to achieve-that is clear two metres in the high jump event.

Last year, the 26-year-old came closest to making history but nearly does not kill a bird, like the saying goes. Her 1.97m lifetime best is just three centimeters short of a 2m height.

Ramot Abike Jimoh:
Can Ramot make history as the first Nigerian woman to break the 2 minutes barrier in the 800m.

That is the million naira question that found its way to the lips many Nigerians after the 21-year-old chalked off more than four seconds to set a new 2:04.97 lifetime best in the 800m indoors.

The 21-year-old had an incredible indoor season, setting lifetime best in as many as five events viz the Distance Medley (11:26.25), Mile (4:46.40), 1,000m (2:49.22), the Mile short track where she set a Nigerian record (4:49.49).