The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has described reports that Olympic sprinter Favour Ofili has switched allegiance to Turkey as “sad, disheartening, and painful,” while affirming that the 22-year-old remains a symbol of promise in Nigerian athletics.
In a statement signed by AFN President Chief Tonobok Okowa on Sunday, the federation said it first learned of Ofili’s purported nationality switch through media reports, including a post by Jamaica-based journalist Kayon Raynor on X (formerly Twitter) late Saturday.
“If this is true, it is painful, but we are yet to receive any official communication from her or from World Athletics regarding a request to switch nationality,” the statement read. “She is a talented athlete with immense potential.”
Ofili, who reportedly opted for Turkish citizenship less than three months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, had earlier expressed frustration after being denied a spot in the 100m event at the upcoming Paris Olympics. In a series of posts on X, she cited administrative failures by the AFN and accused both the federation and national institutions of negligence.
“I have worked for four years to earn this opportunity. For what?” she wrote. “This is not the first time you guys are doing this, so don’t think this is over, because it’s not.”
Responding to her criticism, Okowa acknowledged past administrative lapses but clarified that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic mishap occurred before his tenure as AFN president.
“That issue was managed by the previous board and the sports ministry in conjunction with the Nigerian Olympic Committee,” he said. “Since then, we’ve worked hard to improve standards. Ahead of the Paris Games, we funded 60% of all doping tests, and there have been no violations.”
He further revealed that Ofili had already received her training grant for the current year, but said efforts to mend the relationship had proved difficult.
“Favour has made it hard to reach any form of truce since Tokyo,” Okowa said. “It’s clear she’s been planning this switch for some time. She is old enough to make her own choices, and while we won’t stop her, it’s a painful development for us. She’s still our daughter, sister, and athlete.”
The AFN also criticised Ofili’s perceived lack of commitment to national assignments, noting that she often skipped national trials or chose which events to run.
“She refused to run the 100m final at the 2024 African Championships in Cameroon after competing in the heats, claiming the conditions were not suitable,” the statement said. “She also failed to show up at the African Games in Accra.”
Despite these concerns, Okowa said the federation bears no ill will: “We acknowledge our shortcomings, but we’re improving and have a good relationship with many top athletes. We wish Favour Ofili well in her future endeavours.”
Ofili currently holds Nigeria’s national women’s 200m record with a time of 21.96 seconds, alongside a personal best of 10.78 seconds in the 100m — both achieved in 2022.
