Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili, has officially switched allegiance to Turkey, citing years of neglect and administrative failure by the AFN and the NOC, www.aclsports.com reports.
The decision comes after Ofili, 22, was denied a spot in the 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics despite hitting the qualifying standard. The AFN and NOC failed to enter her name, a devastating repeat of what happened in 2021, when she also missed the Tokyo Olympics after the federation and anti-doping authorities failed to ensure the required drug testing protocols, a blunder that affected 13 other Nigerian athletes.
According to reports, Ofili began the nationality switch on May 31, 2025, and formally notified the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of her frustrations. She made it clear that her decision was not financially motivated but rooted in a consistent pattern of negligence by the AFN.
Despite these repeated failures, the same AFN leadership was re-elected in June 2025, further solidifying her resolve to leave. Ofili owns personal bests of 10.93s in the 100m and 21.96s in the 200m, and recently finished 6th in the 200m final at the Paris Games.
Ofili’s exit is a stark reminder of the growing disconnect between Nigerian athletes and the institutions meant to support them. Her talent now boosts Turkey, while Nigeria bears yet another self-inflicted loss of a world-class athlete.
