The president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, has confirmed that United States-based sprinter Favour Ofili has switched allegiance to Turkey, calling for urgent financial support from both government and private sponsors to prevent further loss of the country’s elite athletes to foreign nations.
Okowa made the revelation during a press briefing at the 2025 National Athletics Championship, held at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
Ofili’s switch comes just months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Although her name still appears under Nigeria on the World Athletics website, federation insiders say the change is imminent.
In an emotional address, Okowa stated that the development highlights a long-standing issue that continues to deprive the country of its top athletic prospects.
‘I can tell you that most of our elite athletes are already being approached by other countries to change their nationality and allegiance’, he said.
‘And as we speak, Favour Ofili has been taken by the Turkish Federation’.
Okowa explained that financial inducements were a major reason athletes like Ofili are walking away from Nigeria.
‘The kind of money they put on the table to get her is not something many athletes would refuse. That is why we are pleading with Nigeria as a nation and our government to come out and support us, so we don’t keep losing our athletes’, he said.
Reports indicate that Turkey, which has stepped up its recruitment of foreign athletes in recent months, offers as much as $500,000 to top performers willing to make the switch.
The move mirrors a disturbing pattern Nigeria has faced in the past, with talents such as Francis Obikwelu, Gloria Alozie and Femi Ogunode abandoning the country for more structured systems abroad.
Okowa, visibly concerned, reiterated that the federation’s most pressing challenge is inadequate funding, and called on the private sector to rise to the occasion and support the development of homegrown talents.
‘We need more sponsors to come on board and support the welfare of these athletes’, he said.
‘That is our most urgent issue. The government cannot do it alone’.
Highlighting the calibre of talent available, the AFN president said he was particularly impressed by the performance of the men’s 100 metres event at the championship, noting that Nigeria’s male sprinters have matured and are now capable of challenging the best globally.
‘Our boys have come of age and they are performing well. They are in shape now’, he said.
‘When they went to Oregon, many questions were raised because they had just moved to the US. But now, they are excelling in the NCAA system and winning events. So we must ask ourselves, what are we doing to keep them?’
