Glasgow 2026: Team Nigeria’s complete squad, schedule and medal prospects

Team Nigeria begin their Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow on Friday with 72 athletes carrying the country’s hopes across 10 sports.

Nigeria will compete in athletics, boxing, weightlifting, para powerlifting, para athletics, swimming, judo, track cycling, men’s 3×3 basketball and women’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball.

The Glasgow Games officially opened on Thursday and will run until August 2, bringing together about 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories. Competition will be staged across four main venues in a more compact programme featuring 10 sports and 215 medal events.

For Nigeria, the target is ambitious.

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National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko has projected between 16 and 20 gold medals, a total that would comfortably surpass the country’s record performance at Birmingham 2022.

Nigeria won 35 medals in Birmingham: 12 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze. It was the country’s best Commonwealth Games performance, with the women winning all 12 gold medals.

Glasgow provides an opportunity to build on that achievement, but a reduced sports programme means Nigeria will be without wrestling and table tennis, two disciplines that have previously contributed medals.

The strength of the contingent is concentrated in athletics, para powerlifting and weightlifting. Those three sports are likely to determine whether Nigeria can approach the NSC’s projection.

A compact Games with fewer Nigerian strengths

Glasgow is hosting a streamlined Commonwealth Games after Victoria, Australia, withdrew as the original host in 2023, because of rising costs.

Several sports from Birmingham 2022 are absent, including wrestling, table tennis, badminton, hockey, cricket, squash and rugby sevens.

The removal of wrestling is particularly significant for Nigeria.

Blessing Oborududu, Odunayo Adekuoroye and Mercy Genesis were among Nigeria’s gold medallists in Birmingham. Their events will not be available in Glasgow, immediately removing three proven sources of gold.

Table tennis has also delivered Commonwealth medals through players such as Quadri Aruna, while Nigeria will not compete in artistic gymnastics, bowls or netball.

The medal target must therefore be pursued through a narrower range of sports.

Nigeria will look to athletics for both individual and relay medals, weightlifting for multiple podium finishes, and para powerlifting for another dominant performance. Boxing, judo and para athletics provide additional opportunities, while swimming, track cycling and the two basketball competitions will require breakthrough performances.

Athletics carries Nigeria’s largest medal hopes

Athletics is Nigeria’s biggest squad, with 29 competitors, and it contains some of the country’s strongest medal prospects.

Tobi Amusan will attempt to win the women’s 100m hurdles for the third consecutive Commonwealth Games. The world record holder won in Gold Coast in 2018 and successfully defended her title in Birmingham four years later.

Her recent 12.27-second performance in Paris suggests she is arriving in Glasgow in excellent form.

Kanyinsola Ajayi will enter the men’s 100m as Nigeria’s fastest man after running a national record of 9.84 seconds three times this season. His victory at the London Diamond League, where he defeated world champion Oblique Seville, has made him one of Nigeria’s most closely watched athletes.

The challenge for Ajayi is to turn that consistency into his first major senior individual medal.

Samuel Ogazi is another leading contender after lowering Nigeria’s men’s 400m record to 43.38 seconds. His time makes him one of the fastest quarter-milers in Commonwealth history and places him firmly in the gold-medal conversation.

Ezekiel Nathaniel will challenge in the men’s 400m hurdles after his national-record performances over the past year, while Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will seek another medal in the men’s shot put.

Nigeria’s women’s long jump team will be without defending champion Ese Brume, who withdrew after she was declared unfit to compete because of injury. Brume won gold in Birmingham with a Games record of 7.00m.

Ruth Usoro was called up as her replacement and will compete alongside Prestina Ochonogor. Brume’s absence removes one of Nigeria’s most dependable championship performers, but Usoro and Ochonogor retain realistic chances of reaching the final and challenging for medals.

Temitope Adeshina will compete in the women’s high jump, while Jessica Oji, Oyesade Olatoye and Obiageri Amaechi strengthen Nigeria’s chances in the throws.

The relay teams could provide further medals, although Nigeria must navigate the heats cleanly and avoid the baton errors and eligibility problems that have undermined previous campaigns.

Para powerlifters can deliver an early statement

Nigeria’s first major medal opportunities will come in para powerlifting on Friday.

Team captain Folashade Oluwafemiayo leads a seven-member squad that includes established champions and experienced international competitors.

Oluwafemiayo is the defending Commonwealth champion, a two-time Paralympic gold medallist and one of the world’s leading para powerlifters. She will compete in the women’s heavyweight category.

Esther Nworgu, Esther Oyema and Rita Ferdinand complete the women’s team, while Roland Ezuruike, Rilwan Idris and Ibrahim Dauda will compete in the men’s events.

Para powerlifting has historically been one of Nigeria’s most reliable Commonwealth sports. The competition’s points-based format differs from the standard weight categories used at the Paralympic Games, but Nigeria’s lifters have the experience to adapt.

A strong opening day would ease some of the pressure created by the 16 to 20 gold-medal projection.

Weightlifters target another major haul

Nigeria will field eight athletes in weightlifting, with Rafiatu Lawal leading the team.

Lawal won gold in Birmingham and enters Glasgow as one of Nigeria’s strongest title favourites. She has continued to compete successfully at continental and global level and will be expected to reach the podium again.

The women’s squad also includes Ruth Ayodele, Onome Didih, Ruth Nyong and Mary Osijo.

Favour Agboro, Adedapo Opadeji and Edidiong Umoafia will represent Nigeria in the men’s competition.

Weightlifting events will take place from July 26 to 30. With medals available across several categories, this is one of the sports in which Nigeria must convert multiple opportunities if the overall gold target is to remain realistic.

Lawal is the leading name, but Nigeria’s final return will depend on whether the rest of the squad can reproduce their best competition totals under pressure.

Boxing, judo offer additional podium routes

Nigeria have selected six boxers, comprising three women and three men.

Kadijat Ajishola, Patricia Mbata and Blessing Oraekwe will compete in the women’s categories, while Abdulramon Abdulwahab, Ayomide Foly and David Akintola make up the men’s team.

Boxing begins on Friday and continues through the first week of the Games, with the medal bouts scheduled for the closing stages of the programme.

The draw will be important. A favourable route can put a boxer within one victory of a medal, but Nigeria will still have to contend with strong teams from England, Scotland, Wales, India and Australia.

Nigeria’s judo team consists of Enku Ekuta, Michael Agbo, Kehinde Aremu and Taiwo Aremu.

Ekuta, an Olympian and African Games champion, appears Nigeria’s strongest judo medal prospect. The judo competition will be staged from July 31 to August 2, giving the quartet additional preparation time before entering action.

Para athletes bring championship experience

Nigeria will also compete in para athletics with Destiny Agbo, Eucharia Iyiazi, Goodness Nwachukwu, Christopher Uwak and Ifeanyi Christian.

Nwachukwu won the women’s discus F42-44/F61-64 title in Birmingham and returns as one of the leading medal contenders.

Iyiazi is another experienced international thrower with Paralympic and Commonwealth Games pedigree. Their presence gives Nigeria realistic podium opportunities when the athletics and para athletics programme begins on July 27.

Basketball teams face unfamiliar territory

Nigeria will make their Commonwealth Games debut in the men’s 3×3 basketball competition.

Ikechukwu Sean Nwamu, Marcel Esonwune, Esosa Okundaye and Robert Ukawuba make up the four-player squad.

The team qualified through the African pathway and completed part of its final preparation in Amsterdam.

The 3×3 format is significantly different from the conventional five-player game. Matches last 10 minutes or end when one team reaches 21 points, while the 12-second shot clock leaves little room for slow starts or lapses in concentration.

Nigeria’s women will compete in 3×3 wheelchair basketball through Nofisat Adefala, Gbemisola Ijigbamigbe, Chituru Nwaozuzu and Titilayo Olaleye.

Both competitions offer opportunities to expand Nigeria’s presence in basketball, although medals would represent a significant breakthrough rather than an expected outcome.

Swimming and cycling seek breakthrough performances

Nigeria’s swimming team comprises Abduljabar Adama, Colins Obi Ebingha, Clinton Opute and Dorcas Oka.

Swimming runs from July 24 to 29 at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre. Nigerian swimmers will face world-class opposition from Australia, Canada, England, Scotland and South Africa.

The immediate targets will be personal bests, national records and qualification for finals. Any medal would rank among Nigeria’s most notable achievements of the Games.

Oyindamola Tijani is Nigeria’s sole representative in track cycling.

Track cycling begins on July 27 at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. Like swimming, the event presents a difficult medal route because of the strength and depth of the traditional Commonwealth cycling nations.

When Team Nigeria will compete

Nigeria’s campaign begins on Friday, July 24, with para powerlifting medal events, boxing, swimming, men’s 3×3 basketball and women’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball.

Swimming and the basketball competitions will continue through the opening days.

Weightlifting begins on Sunday, July 26, and runs until Thursday, July 30.

Athletics and para athletics start on Monday, July 27, and continue until Saturday, August 1. The men’s and women’s 100m competitions will provide the first major track focus, followed by the hurdles, 200m, 400m, relays and field events.

Track cycling also begins on July 27.

Judo starts on Friday, July 31, and runs through the final day of competition on August 2.

Boxing medals will be decided towards the end of the Games, while Nigeria’s athletics campaign is expected to produce several medal opportunities between July 28 and August 1.

A separate Bold Sports daily schedule will provide the exact event times and progression of every Nigerian athlete once start lists and qualification rounds are confirmed.

Team Nigeria’s Glasgow 2026 squad

Athletics

Women: Tobi Amusan, Temitope Adeshina, Ruth Usoro, Obi Chukwuka, Rosemary Chukwuma, Patience Okon George, Rosemary Nwankwo, Esther Joseph, Blessing Ogundiran, Jessica Oji, Olayinka Olajide, Oyesade Olatoye, Prestina Ochonogor, Miracle Ezechukwu, Favour Onyah and Obiageri Amaechi.

Men: Kanyinsola Ajayi, Alaba Akintola, Favour Ashe, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Chidera Ezeakor, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Samuel Ogazi, Israel Okon, Udodi Onwuzurike, Edidiong Udo, Adekalu Fakorede, Jami Schlueter and Chinecherem Nnamdi.

Boxing

Women: Kadijat Ajishola, Patricia Mbata and Blessing Oraekwe.

Men: Abdulramon Abdulwahab, Ayomide Foly and David Akintola.

Weightlifting

Women: Ruth Ayodele, Onome Didih, Rafiatu Lawal, Ruth Nyong and Mary Osijo.

Men: Favour Agboro, Adedapo Opadeji and Edidiong Umoafia.

Para powerlifting

Women: Rita Ferdinand, Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Esther Oyema.

Men: Rilwan Idris, Ibrahim Dauda and Roland Ezuruike.

Para athletics

Women: Destiny Agbo, Eucharia Iyiazi, Goodness Nwachukwu and Christopher Uwak.

Men: Ifeanyi Christian.

Men’s 3×3 basketball

Marcel Esonwune, Ikechukwu Sean Nwamu, Esosa Okundaye and Robert Ukawuba.

Women’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball

Nofisat Adefala, Gbemisola Ijigbamigbe, Chituru Nwaozuzu and Titilayo Olaleye.

Swimming

Women: Dorcas Oka.

Men: Abduljabar Adama, Colins Obi Ebingha and Clinton Opute.

Judo

Women: Enku Ekuta.

Men: Michael Agbo, Kehinde Aremu and Taiwo Aremu.

Track cycling

Men: Oyindamola Tijani.

Can Nigeria reach the 16 to 20 gold target?

Team Nigeria possess enough quality to improve on their overall medal total from Birmingham, but winning between 16 and 20 gold medals will require an exceptional conversion rate.

The strongest gold opportunities appear to be in para powerlifting, weightlifting and athletics.

Amusan, Ajayi, Ogazi, Nathaniel, Enekwechi, Oluwafemiayo, Nworgu, Nwachukwu and Lawal are among Nigeria’s strongest gold-medal prospects. Usoro and Ochonogor also give the country two medal opportunities in the women’s long jump, although neither should be presented as a direct replacement for Brume’s championship record.

Nigeria can also challenge in the relays and other weightlifting categories.

However, the absence of wrestling removes several medals that would ordinarily form part of Nigeria’s projection. The reduced programme also places more pressure on athletes competing in unpredictable events such as the sprints, relays and boxing.

A total of 16 gold medals is possible, but it represents the upper end of a strong Nigerian performance rather than a conservative expectation. Reaching 20 would require Nigeria to dominate its strongest sports and collect unexpected victories elsewhere.

The more realistic benchmark is whether Nigeria can surpass the 12 gold medals won in Birmingham despite competing without its wrestlers.

Glasgow will answer that question over the next 10 days.

Bold Sports coverage

Bold Sports will provide daily Team Nigeria schedules, results, medal updates, athlete profiles and analysis throughout the Commonwealth Games.

Our Glasgow 2026 coverage will include:

Five Nigerian athletes to watch at the Commonwealth Games

Can Team Nigeria win 16 to 20 gold medals in Glasgow?

Glasgow 2026 daily schedule: When every Nigerian athlete will compete

Team Nigeria results and medal tracker

Follow Bold Sports throughout the Games for the Nigerian stories behind the results.

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