Stars To Watch As Nigeria Targets Commonwealth Games Glory
Team Nigeria’s Glasgow Mission Begins
TEAM Nigeria has intensified preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games after departing Abuja for a three-week training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The squad, made up largely of home-based athletes, will be joined by their foreign-based counterparts, particularly those based in the United States, as preparations gather momentum for the Games scheduled to hold from 23 July to 2 August in Glasgow.
With several reigning champions, world record holders and emerging talents in the contingent, Nigeria is expected to mount a strong challenge across athletics, weightlifting and para sports.
Experienced Champions Lead the Charge
Among the country’s biggest medal prospects is long jumper Ese Brume, one of Africa’s most accomplished field athletes. The Olympic bronze medallist, World Championships silver and bronze medallist, and defending Commonwealth Games champion heads to Glasgow aiming to retain the title she won in Birmingham in 2022.
Brume, who owns the African long jump record of 7.17 metres, remains one of the continent’s most consistent performers. Although she recently recorded a season jump of 6.59m, expectations remain high that she will peak in time for the Games.
Nigeria will also rely heavily on hurdling queen Tobi Amusan, whose return to top form has strengthened the country’s medal ambitions. The world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles recently matched her season’s best of 12.27 seconds while winning the Paris Diamond League.
Having won back-to-back Commonwealth titles in 2018 and 2022, while also helping Nigeria secure gold in the women’s 4x100m relay at Birmingham, Amusan is expected to remain one of the Games’ headline attractions.
Powerlifting and Weightlifting Stars Eye More Gold
Team captain Folashade Oluwafemiayo will spearhead Nigeria’s para powerlifting campaign. Widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest athletes, she boasts multiple Paralympic, World Championship and Commonwealth titles, in addition to several world records.
After winning Commonwealth gold in Birmingham and establishing herself among the world’s elite lifters, Oluwafemiayo enters Glasgow as one of Nigeria’s strongest medal contenders.
Weightlifting star Rafiatu Lawal will also be aiming to defend the Commonwealth title she won in record-breaking fashion four years ago. The African champion has continued her remarkable rise by winning gold at the 2026 African Weightlifting Championships and becoming the first Nigerian weightlifter to claim three medals at a single IWF World Championships.
Young Sprint Stars Raise Expectations
Nigeria’s next generation of track stars will also command attention in Glasgow.
Quarter-miler Samuel Ogazi has rapidly developed into one of the world’s fastest 400m runners. After reaching the Olympic final in Paris, he has gone on to rewrite the Nigerian record books, producing a succession of outstanding performances, including a national record of 43.38 seconds and becoming the fourth-fastest man ever over the distance.
Sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi is another athlete expected to attract global attention. The youngster announced himself among the world’s elite after clocking a stunning 9.84 seconds in the 100 metres to break Olusoji Fasuba’s long-standing Nigerian record.
With experienced champions and exciting young talents combining in one squad, Team Nigeria heads to Glasgow carrying renewed hopes of another successful Commonwealth Games campaign.
