Reports have indicated that athlete, Favour Ofili has switched her allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey ahead of future national events.
World and Nigerian record holder Favour Ofili has reportedly switched her sporting allegiance to Turkey, a move which was reported to have commenced on May 31, 2025.
The decision marks a significant turning point in the career of the highly talented sprinter and highlights deepening frustrations with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
Many are of the opinion that her decision was influenced by the lack of competence of the association. Ofili achieved the 100m Olympic qualifying standard for Paris 2024, only to find that both the AFN and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) failed to enter her name for the Games, effectively denying her a spot for a second consecutive Olympics due to bureaucratic oversight.
Back in 2021, Ofili also missed the Tokyo Olympics in the 200m event after the AFN and the Nigerian Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) failed to conduct mandatory tests in time, a blunder that disqualified her and 13 other Nigerian athletes.
Despite these repeated setbacks, the current leadership of the AFN was re-elected in June 2025, just weeks after Ofili initiated her switch to Turkey.
Turkey, meanwhile, has been actively recruiting top international talent, particularly athletes from Jamaica and countries where federations struggle with governance.
Ofili’s move reflects a growing trend of elite athletes seeking competitive and administrative stability elsewhere.Her departure is seen as a significant loss for Nigerian athletics and a wake-up call for reforms within its governing bodies.
