AFCON 2025
Favour Ofili has officially announced her decision to switch international allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey, ending a troubled relationship with Nigerian athletics.
The 22-year-old sprinter confirmed the move on Monday through her social media accounts, saying: “Wrapping up my 2025 season has been a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions… As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Turkey.
“I am proud to have represented Nigeria for many years in a highly successful way—having won SIX gold medals, TWO silver medals, and TWO bronze medals in championship meets and reaching the 200m Olympic final—but also enduring the biggest disappointment from AFN and NOC… This change comes from the heart, not from financial motives. I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Turkey.”
Her decision comes after years of frustration with administrative failures. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she was among ten Nigerian athletes disqualified when the Athletics Federation of Nigeria failed to comply with anti-doping testing rules.
In Paris 2024, despite qualifying for both the 100m and 200m, she was omitted from the 100m start list due to an administrative error and went on to finish sixth in the 200m. A recommendation for compensation over the psychological toll of that experience was never implemented.
Although the AFN had denied knowledge of her impending switch earlier in the year, officials have now accepted her choice. AFN President Tonobok Okowa described her as “our child, sister and daughter,” and said the federation would not attempt to block the move.
Under World Athletics rules, Ofili may not be eligible to represent Turkey until 2027, meaning she will miss next year’s World Championships in Tokyo.
