Nigerian Sprinter, Favour Ofili Reportedly Switches Allegiance To Turkey

Nigerian track star Favour Ofili has switched her sporting nationality to Turkey, months after openly criticizing the Nigerian Athletics Federation for repeated mismanagement.

Favour Ofili, a sprinter known for her speed in the 100m, 200m, and relay events, had her hopes for a strong outing at the 2024 Paris Olympics dashed when the federation failed to include her name in the final entry list for the 100m, which was one of her strongest event, even though she had qualified.

Despite this, she still competed in the 200m but ended up finishing sixth in the final, missing out on a medal.

The disappointment added to her frustration, especially since it wasn’t the first time administrative issues had affected her career.

According to her, similar negligence cost her a chance to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as well.

In August 2024, Ofili took to social media to call out the Nigerian Athletics Federation, questioning whether anyone had been held responsible for the repeated blunders.

On May 31, 2025, the Nigerian sprinter made the switch official, choosing to represent Turkey going forward.

This was confirmed by a report from Television Jamaica and Radio Jamaica Newscentre, and further highlighted by Jamaican journalist Kayon Raynor in a post shared on June 21, 2025.

Raynor stated that Ofili informed the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of her reasons, which stemmed purely from her frustrations with the Nigerian federation, not financial gain.

He wrote, “Nigerian sprinter @FavOfili has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025. According to impeccable @TvjNewscentre sources, 22-year-old Ofili has advised the @aiu_athletics of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation.”

“It’s further understood that Ofili impressed upon the AIU that her switch to Turkey was not for financial reasons. She owns personal best times of 10.93 secs and 21.96 secs in the 100m and 200m, respectively,” he added.

While many athletes have been moving to Turkey because of monetary incentives, Ofili reportedly made it clear that her decision had nothing to do with money.

Favour Ofili, now 22, has an impressive track record. She ran 10.93 seconds in the 100m in April 2022 at a meet in Baton Rouge, making her the first NCAA female sprinter to break the 11-second mark in outdoor competition.

That same month, she also ran a lightning-fast 21.96 seconds in the 200m at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Florida.

That race not only set a new NCAA record but also broke the Nigerian national record and placed her among the fastest African women ever over 200 meters.

With this move, Ofili becomes the latest athlete to switch countries and now joins Turkey’s roster, hoping for better support and fair treatment as her career moves forward.

KanyiDaily recalls that Favour Ofili broke down in tears after finishing sixth in the women’s 200 meters final at the 2024 Paris Olympics after blaming Nigerian Athletics authorities over her inability to compete in the 100-meter race at the event.