Team Nigeria Arrive in Glasgow with High Medal Hopes as Commonwealth Games Near
Team Nigeria have arrived in the Games Village ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the country relying on a mix of established champions and emerging stars to deliver a strong medal haul.
Nigeria’s final preparations were completed at a training camp in Aberdeen, while the national 3×3 basketball team arrived from Amsterdam to join the rest of the delegation.
The country’s first medal opportunities are expected to come on Friday, when the para powerlifting competition begins.
Team captain Folashade Oluwafemiayo will be among Nigeria’s leading contenders. The reigning Commonwealth champion, two-time Paralympic gold medallist and four-time world champion is seeking to retain the title she won in Birmingham.
She will be joined by Rita Ferdinand, the reigning world champion, who arrives in Glasgow after lifting 154kg at the African Open Championships in Oran, Algeria, to equal the world record and set a new African record in the up to 79kg category.
Nigeria’s athletics team will be led by sprinter Kayinsola Ajayi and hurdler Tobi Amusan.
Ajayi has enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning the NCAA Indoor 60m and Outdoor 100m titles before equalling Nigeria’s national record of 9.84 seconds. He has also defeated Jamaica’s reigning world champion Oblique Seville at the Prefontaine Classic and the London Diamond League.
Amusan, the world record holder and two-time Commonwealth champion, is seeking a third successive Commonwealth title. She has won two Diamond League meetings this season, including in Paris, where she ran a season-best 12.28 seconds.
The Nigerian team will also look to Chukwuebuka Enekwechi in the shot put. The African record holder with a throw of 22.10 metres has reached successive World Championships finals and is among the continent’s leading medal contenders.
In boxing, Patricia Mbata will make her Commonwealth Games debut after switching allegiance from Britain to Nigeria. The African Games gold medallist secured her place on the team after defeating national champion Blessing Orakwe at the national trials.
Nigeria’s medal prospects have been further boosted by an enhanced welfare and incentive package introduced by the National Sports Commission under Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director General Bukola Olopade.
The package includes increased daily and camping allowances, improved travel support and enhanced rewards for medal winners. Gold medallists can earn up to $8,000 in combined rewards and performance bonuses, while every athlete and official received ₦500,000 in travel support.
The Glasgow Games will provide Nigeria with an opportunity to build on the performances of a contingent featuring world, Paralympic, Commonwealth and African champions, as well as multiple record holders.
