Esther Imonmion
Nigeria woke up on Monday to the news it had long feared but hoped would never come.
Favour Ofili, the nation’s fastest woman over 200 metres and one of the brightest prospects in world sprinting, has officially dumped the green-and-white for the crescent and star of Turkey.
The 21-year-old sensation, who blazed her way into history books with a national record of 21.96 seconds in the 200m—making her the only Nigerian woman ever to run under 22 seconds—confirmed the decision in a statement marking the end of her 2025 season.
“Wrapping up my 2025 season has been a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions,” she wrote. “As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Turkey.”
Ofili’s rise has been meteoric. Bursting onto the scene at the 2019 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, she quickly established herself as a fixture in global athletics. By 19, she was already running at the World Championships in Doha (2019) and later starred in Budapest (2023).
Her résumé glitters with appearances at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and several African Championships, where she became one of Nigeria’s most dependable medal hopes.
But behind the medals and records lay growing frustration. Like many of her peers, Ofili had voiced concerns about poor athlete welfare, lack of support, and inconsistent management in Nigerian sports. Insiders say those grievances, long ignored, paved the way for her move.
Her switch is more than just a transfer of allegiance—it is a damning indictment of Nigeria’s broken athletics system. Once again, the country finds itself watching helplessly as one of its brightest stars seeks greener pastures abroad.
For Turkey, the capture of Ofili is a statement of intent: the nation is investing heavily in its athletics program and sees her as a centrepiece of its sprint ambitions heading into future World Championships and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
For Nigeria, however, her exit leaves a gaping hole. More than just the loss of a record-holder, it raises uncomfortable questions: how many more athletes will walk away before change finally comes?