Glasgow 2026: Team Nigeria Finish Top African Nation Despite Missing Gold Medal Target

Team Nigeria ended their Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign as Africa’s highest-ranked nation after securing 24 medals, although they fell short of the National Sports Commission’s ambitious gold medal target.

Nigeria finished sixth on the overall medals table with 10 gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals, underlining the country’s strength in athletics and the lifting sports despite a reduced sporting programme at the Games.

Athletics and para athletics accounted for more than half of Nigeria’s medals, contributing 13 in total, including four gold, three silver and six bronze.

Samuel Ogazi emerged as one of the stars of the Games by winning the men’s 400 metres title in 44.25 seconds, while Ezekiel Nathaniel claimed gold in the men’s 400m hurdles with a commanding run of 48.47 seconds. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi added another athletics gold in the men’s shot put, while Goodness Nwachukwu successfully defended her para discus crown with a world-record throw of 39.66 metres.

Udodi Onwuzurike won silver in the men’s 200m, Ruth Usoro claimed silver in the women’s long jump, while Jessica Oji secured another runner-up finish in the women’s shot put.

Bronze medals came through Kanyinsola Ajayi in the men’s 100m, Tobi Amusan in the women’s 100m hurdles, Ella Onojuvwevwo in the women’s 400m and Temitope Adeshina in the women’s high jump.

Nigeria also finished third in both the men’s 4x100m relay, featuring Favour Ashe, Ajayi, Nicholas Fakorede and Onwuzurike, and the mixed 4x400m relay team of Nathaniel, Patience Okon-George, Ogazi and Onojuvwevwo.

The country’s para powerlifters once again underlined their dominance by opening the Games with six medals. Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Riluwan Idris captured gold, with Oluwafemiayo producing a world-record lift of 175kg. Roland Ezuruike, Esther Oyema and Rita Ferdinand each won silver.

Weightlifting also delivered an impressive return, producing three gold medals through Edidiong Umoafia, Onome Didih and Rafiatu Lawal. Umoafia lifted a total of 319kg to win the men’s 71kg title, while Didih and Lawal topped the women’s 53kg and 58kg categories respectively.

Lawal enjoyed one of the standout performances of the competition, setting Commonwealth Games records in the snatch, clean and jerk and total lift. Ruth Nyong added a silver medal in the women’s 48kg event after a spirited recovery in the clean and jerk.

Nigeria’s only medal outside athletics, para powerlifting and weightlifting came through judoka Enku Ekuta, who fought back from defeat in the quarter-finals to defeat Zambia’s Rita Kabinda by ippon in the women’s 63kg bronze medal contest.

Beyond the podium, Nigeria recorded encouraging progress in several developing sports. Swimmer Abduljabar Adama reached the men’s 50m freestyle semi-finals, while the country registered historic victories in men’s 3×3 basketball and women’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball. Nigeria was also represented in para track cycling by Oyindamola Abdullahi Tijani and pilot Okeyah Bethel Temple.

However, the Games also exposed areas requiring urgent improvement. Nigeria failed to win medals in boxing, swimming, basketball and cycling, with the boxing team enduring a particularly disappointing campaign as none of its athletes reached the podium.

Although the 24-medal haul represents another respectable showing on the Commonwealth stage, it fell below the National Sports Commission’s pre-Games projection of between 16 and 20 gold medals, with Team Nigeria returning home with 10 titles.

The overall medal tally was also lower than the 35 medals won at Birmingham 2022, although Glasgow featured a reduced 10-sport programme that excluded several of Nigeria’s traditional medal-winning events, including wrestling and para table tennis.

The Glasgow Games ultimately reinforced Nigeria’s dominance in athletics, para powerlifting and weightlifting, which combined to deliver 23 of the country’s 24 medals and all 10 gold medals. While the performances produced world records, new champions and memorable breakthroughs, they also highlighted the need to broaden Nigeria’s medal-winning capacity in boxing, swimming, cycling and team sports ahead of future major international competitions.

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