The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, has reaffirmed that Favour Ofili remains a Nigerian athlete, dispelling recent speculation about her purported switch of allegiance to Turkey.
Speaking at the World Press Conference on Wednesday for the Confederation of African Athletics U-18 and U-20 Championships in Abuja, Olopade, who also serves as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, categorically stated that there is no official confirmation of any nationality change for the elite sprinter.
“Favour Ofili is still representing Nigeria. She wrote to the NSC two months ago, reaffirming her commitment to compete for Nigeria,” Olopade said.
“When I resumed as DG of NSC I called her personally and she confirmed her allegiance to Nigeria.”
The NSC DG further revealed that Ofili is one of 69 athletes who received financial grants from the commission in April 2025, underlining her active participation in national development programmes.
“There has been no official communication from any international federation or national body indicating that she has switched allegiance. As far as the NSC is concerned, she remains a Nigerian athlete,” Olopade added.
The statement comes amid circulating reports suggesting that Ofili, a multiple-time national champion and international medalist, was in the process of transferring her allegiance to Turkey—a claim the NSC has firmly denied.
The development has sparked significant debate within Nigerian athletics circles, particularly given Ofili’s status as the women’s 150m world record holder and one of Nigeria’s brightest medal hopes for major international competitions.
Athletics Federation of Nigeria president, Tonobok Okowa, had previously expressed shock at reports of the potential switch, admitting that the AFN had failed the sprinter on multiple occasions whilst maintaining that the federation had made efforts to keep her within the national fold.
“If this is true, it is sad, disheartening and painful,” Okowa stated.
“But we are yet to get any official statement from her or from World Athletics on her request. She is old enough to decide what’s best for her but it is painful and hard to take for us.”
Should Ofili decide to switch allegiance, she would face a three-year waiting period under World Athletics’ eligibility rules before she could compete for Turkey in major international competitions, having competed for Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The alleged switch would add Ofili to a growing list of Nigerian athletes who have represented other countries at major international competitions, including Francis Obikwelu (Portugal), Gloria Alozie (Spain), Florence Ekpo-Umoh (Germany), Femi Ogunode (Qatar) and Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain).
Reports indicate that the Turkish athletics federation has been actively recruiting foreign-born athletes in recent years, allegedly offering substantial financial incentives to secure high-profile transfers.
Despite the speculation, World Athletics still lists Ofili as a Nigerian on her official profile. She is one of several Nigerians who have qualified for the Tokyo World Championships scheduled from September 13 to 21.
