Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili has reportedly begun moves to switch her international allegiance to Turkey, just three months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The 22-year-old, known for her blistering 150m world record of 15.85 seconds, cited repeated administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) as the driving force behind her decision.
Favour Ofili is one of the Nigerian athletes who have qualified for the World Championships, which will be held from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo.
Her reported switch of allegiance was first announced by Jamaica-based journalist Kayon Raynor.
“Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025. According to impeccable TVJ News centre sources, 22-year-old Ofili has advised the Athletics Integrity Unit of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation,” Raynor posted via X.
According to reports, Favour Ofili is frustrated with the AFN after she missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the women’s 100m at the 2024 Olympics.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Odili was barred from contesting in the 2024 Olympics after the AFN and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) failed to enter her name despite her qualifying.
The reports of Ofili’s potential switch from Nigeria to Turkey come after the Turkish athletics body has been shopping for athletes this year.
It was gathered that the Turkish athletics body is reportedly paying as much as $500,000 to foreign athletes who agree to switch allegiance.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass also reports that should Ofili’s move pull through, she won’t be the first Nigerian athlete to switch allegiance.
Nigeria has a rich list of athletes like Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) Gloria Alozie (Spain), Florence Ekpo-Umoh (Germany), Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain), Femi Ogunode (Qatar), amongst several others, who dumped the country for other nations and went on to excel in their careers internationally.
