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World Athletics (WA) has rejected Nigerian sprinter and Olympian Favour Ofili’s attempt to switch national allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) disclosed the WA ruling in a statement on Thursday, April 16. The WA’s national review panel rejected Ofili’s application because it was part of attempts by the Turkish Athletics Federation (TAF) to induce recruited athletes to switch nationality hastily and primarily for mercenary reasons.
The Nigerian Olympian was one of eleven foreign athletes whose applications were submitted by Turkey to WA for allegiance switch. Still, World Athletics, in its ruling, said Turkey’s recruitment process discredits the integrity of national competitions and discourages countries from developing homegrown talent.
Furthermore, they stated that the attempt also risks replacing local talent with imported competitors. It’s pertinent to know that Ofili began the process of her nationality switch in 2025; her decision was fuelled by her accusations of neglect and career sabotage against AFN.
The 23-year-old sprinter could not participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics because the Nigerian Olympic authorities failed to inform her of the minimum drug-testing requirements for competing.
Sadly, this was another administrative error that prevented Ofili from representing Nigeria in the 100-meter event at Paris 2024, as the AFN failed to submit her name by the deadline.
