Ogazi Supplants Ezekiel, Tops Nigeria’s Performance Chart
Samuel Ogazi has surged to the top of Nigeria’s all-time performance list after clocking 43.38 seconds to successfully defend his NCAA 400m title on Friday.
The 19-year-old’s run is now rated as the greatest performance by a Nigerian man across all track and field disciplines, surpassing Ezekiel Nathaniel’s 47.11-second national record in the 400m hurdles at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
According to the World Athletics Scoring Tables of Athletics, 2025 revised edition, Ogazi’s 43.38 is valued at 1,295 points, edging Nathaniel’s 1,278.
The tables are used globally to compare performances across different disciplines by assigning point values, allowing governing bodies, statisticians, and coaches to objectively rank achievements that cannot be measured head-to-head.
Ogazi’s time is also the fastest in the world this season, the fourth fastest ever recorded, and the second fastest by an African. He is the first Nigerian sprinter to break 44 seconds in the full-lap race and is now chasing history as the first to dip under 43 seconds.
The scoring system, introduced by World Athletics decades ago and periodically revised, is designed to provide a standardized measure of excellence across events.
It ensures that a 400m sprint can be compared with a marathon, a pole vault, or a hurdles race, offering a unified benchmark for evaluating athletes’ performances.
Ogazi’s breakthrough cements his status as Nigeria’s leading track prospect and raises expectations ahead of future global competitions.
