For years, Olympic sprinter Favour Ofili was a poster girl of athletics in Nigeria. A six-time gold medallist in championship competitions, a finalist in the women’s 200m at the Tokyo Olympics, and the current 150m world record holder, she embodied the promise of a new era in Nigerian athletics.

Yet, behind the medals and records, her relationship with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) was marred by missed opportunities.

In Tokyo 2021, Ofili could not compete due to administrative lapses.

Four years later in Paris, she was denied a place in the 100m race—after her name was omitted from the runners' list—an omission later confirmed by a government probe to be the direct result of AFN ‘‘negligence’’.

On the night of September 1, Ofili, 22, announced her switch of allegiance from Nigeria to Türkiye.

“As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Türkiye… While experiencing the biggest disappointment from AFN and NOC for their negligence towards me in two Olympics (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision,” Ofili wrote on Instagram.

‘Administrative lapses’

Her statement confirmed rumours that had swirled around for months about her potential switch of allegiance.

The AFN has however not reacted to Ofili’s announcement.

World Athletics regulations stipulate that athletes must wait three years after their last competition for a country before switching allegiance—unless exceptional circumstances are proven.

Ofili has signalled a willingness to sit out the waiting period, even if it means missing the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

“While that means sitting out this year’s championship in Tokyo, this change comes from the heart… I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Türkiye,” she says.