World News Update

Nigeria made a powerful statement on Day 1 of the weightlifting events at the 4th African Youth Games in Angola, dominating the competition and winning a total of eight gold medals and one silver. Favour Cornelius led the charge in the 44kg category with an outstanding performance, claiming three gold medals after lifting 50kg in the snatch, 64kg in the clean and jerk, and finishing with a total of 114kg. In the 48kg division, Esther Chidalu Ezenwa delivered another triple-gold display for Nigeria. She recorded 63kg in the snatch, 77kg in the clean and jerk, and posted a combined total of 140kg to top the category. Chinaza Cecelia Ezenwa continued Nigeria’s golden run in the 53kg category, winning two gold medals and one silver. She lifted 65kg in the snatch to claim silver, before responding strongly with gold in the clean and jerk at 83kg and gold in the total with an impressive 148kg. On Day 1 of weightlifting event, Nigeria’s medal haul from stood at eight gold medals and one silve...

PRESS STATEMENT  Nigeria recorded another impressive outing at the 4th African Youth Games as its 50kg boxer, Abijuwon Furuk Olalekan, secured a convincing victory over Salmane Kochubati of Tunisia in the men’s 50kg category. Olalekan dominated the bout with confidence and technical superiority, earning a well-deserved win that has now qualified Nigeria for the semi-finals in the boxing event.  His performance further highlighted Nigeria’s strong presence and competitive edge at the Games. Meanwhile, attention shifts to the weightlifting arena as the weightlifting competition is set to commence tomorrow at Dream Space, with Nigerian athletes expected to be in action. SIGNED: Kola Daniel, S.A, Media, Office of the Director General,  National Sports Commission (NSC). December 17, 2025.

PRESS STATEMENT  Swimming action will continue on Day 4 of aquatics at the 4th Africa Youth Games at the Piscina do Alvalade pool in Luanda, Angola, with Nigerian athletes set to be on display. Timilehin Olaiya will feature in the final of the boys’ 400 metres individual medley after a strong showing in the earlier rounds. His progression into the final of one of swimming’s most physically demanding events underlines his growing confidence on the continental stage, as he looks to contend for a podium finish. Meanwhile, Aidan Dumuje Abili qualified for the final of the boys’ 100 metres backstroke but will not compete in the race. Team officials confirmed that the decision was a tactical one aimed at managing his overall workload and preserving energy for the 50 metres freestyle event scheduled for Tuesday, where expectations are higher and medal chances remain strong. Aidan earlier in the Games won bronze the 50m boys butterfly with personal best of 25.78.  In the girls’ 100 me...

PRESS STATEMENT Nigeria has claimed a prestigious gold medal in table tennis at the 4th African Youth Games after defeating continental powerhouse Egypt to emerge champions in the mixed team event. The Nigerian mixed team, represented by Matthew Fabunmi and Ojo Favour, delivered a composed and dominant performance in the final, overcoming Egypt by a convincing 2–0 scoreline to secure the gold medal and confirm Nigeria’s growing strength in youth table tennis. Nigeria’s journey to the top of the podium was marked by a series of impressive victories.  The team first defeated Tunisia in the quarters to book a place in the semifinals before producing a spirited display to overcome Algeria in a tense and hard-fought semifinal encounter. The gold medal ceremony added further significance to the achievement, as the Nigerian team was presented with their medals by Engr. Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC). This triumph against one of Africa’s traditional table tenn...

PRESS STATEMENT Team Nigeria continues to soar at the ongoing 4th African Youth Games (AYG), delivering outstanding performances across multiple sports and reinforcing the nation’s growing dominance at the youth level. In Beach Volleyball, Nigeria clinched the Gold Medal in emphatic fashion, defeating Egypt 2–0 with convincing set scores of 21–15, 21–17, a testament to the team’s preparation, resilience, and technical excellence. Nigeria’s Badminton contingent also impressed, finishing with a strong medal haul: * **1 Gold Medal (Mixed Doubles)* * **2 Silver Medals** * **3 Bronze Medals** In Golf, Josephine Clement Benjamin capped a fine outing by winning the Bronze Medal for Team Nigeria at the conclusion of the golf events on Sunday, adding yet another podium finish to Nigeria’s growing medal tally. Also, Nigeria recorded another bronze, which came in the 50m Backstroke, as Aidan Dumuje Abili fought to finish on the podium. Meanwhile, in Table Tennis, Nigeria advanced to the Semi-Fina...

PRESS STATEMENT  The National Sports Commission has expressed delight over the impressive performance of Nigeria’s youth chess team at the 2025 Africa Youth Chess Championships, held in Harare, Zimbabwe. Nigeria’s contingent, featuring promising young talents such as Deborah Quickpen, Michelle Nwankwo, Jason Nwankwo, Zita Agusionu, Olakitan Elegbede, and Adeola Elegbede, delivered commendable performances while competing against some of the finest young chess players from across the African continent. Competing in various age categories, the Nigerian players demonstrated high levels of tactical intelligence, mental resilience, and exemplary sportsmanship.  The Commission also acknowledged the leadership of Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, President of the Chess Federation of Nigeria, alongside members of the Federation’s Board, for their sustained commitment to advancing chess development nationwide. Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade stated that “beyond podium finishe...

- Clement Nwankpa Jr in Luanda  If trends are to be reckoned with, Nigeria seems to be bulldozing her way into a hitherto uncharted territory in sports. Over the years, we have decried the nation's lack of podium appearances in swimming, a multi medal event at major Games.  At the continental level, we had watched nations like Egypt and South Africa feast on medals in water like sharks preying in the sea. These medals ultimately enabled these countries to finish ahead of Nigeria in the overall medals table in most of these events. If Nigeria had not been impressive in Africa, of course little should be expected at the global stage.  The shortcomings in swimming weren't accidental. They were as a result of poor foundations. This is one of the sports that athletes stand better chances of excelling when they start very early. And we had never even been excellent at the junior levels.  Meanwhile, recent events point to a change in the nation's fortunes in swimming. There...

PRESS STATEMENT Team Nigeria delivered an outstanding performance on the track as athletics events concluded at the 4th African Youth Games in Angola on Saturday, finishing with an impressive haul of 11 medals.  The Nigerian contingent secured a total of six gold and five silver medals, underlining the country’s talented pipeline in youth athletics. In the sprints, Nigeria made a strong statement in the 100 metres. Rosemary Chigozie Nwakwo powered to gold in the girls’ race, clocking 11.77 seconds to top the podium. She finished ahead of South Africa’s Oluchi Ndubueze, who claimed silver in 12.12 seconds, while Morocco’s Maria Saadi took bronze in 12.27 seconds.  In the boys’ 100 metres, Emmanuel Akolo earned silver for Nigeria with a time of 10.76 seconds, finishing behind South Africa’s Micah Africa, who won gold in 10.67 seconds. The quarter-mile events also brought further success for Team Nigeria. Hafsoh Bisola Majekodunmi claimed gold in the girls’ 400 metres, producing ...

PRESS STATEMENT The Chairman of the Conference of Ministers, African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 2, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has emphasized the dire need for African nations to deliberately invest in and grow the continent’s sports economy, as a way to foster national development. Mallam Dikko made this call while delivering his remarks at the Conference of Ministers Meeting held in Bujumbura, Burundi on Friday. In his address, he highlighted the powerful role that sports can play in shaping national economies, boosting international visibility, and unlocking opportunities for millions of young people across the continent. “Sports is not just entertainment; it is a major economic engine,” he said. “Countries like England, Brazil, the United States, and even smaller nations such as Croatia have shown how a well-developed sports ecosystem can contribute significantly to national GDP, create jobs, attract global events, and promote positive cultural exchange. Africa must be intentional ...

PRESS RELEASE The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has warmly welcomed the African Union’s decision to grant Nigeria the hosting rights for the 6th Specialized Technical Committee (STC) Meeting of the African Union Sports Council in 2027, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in Nigeria’s leadership and contributions to sports, youth, and cultural development across the continent. The announcement was made during the Meeting of Ministers held in Bujumbura, Burundi, where the African Union also acknowledged Nigeria’s notable role in advancing sports, humanitarian services, youth empowerment, and cultural integration in Africa. The decision followed a detailed presentation by Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, to the Council of Ministers, highlighting Nigeria’s achievements, readiness, and long-term vision for African sports development. Speaking on the AU’s decision, Hon. Bukola Olopade said “Nigeria deepl...

 PRESS STATEMENT Team Nigeria continued its outstanding performances across multiple sports, at the ongoing Africa Youth Games, as it continued to increase its medal count at the continental youth showpiece. In athletics, Nigeria clinched Gold in the Girls’ 400 metres, while the Boys’ 400 metres final saw Nigeria finish second to claim the Silver medal, marking a strong showing in the track events. In Beach Volleyball, Nigeria’s Girls’ team secured a convincing victory over Côte d’Ivoire, further highlighting the nation’s strength in team sports. Meanwhile, in Table Tennis, the Boys’ Singles event concluded on Friday with Nigeria earning a bronze medal, adding to the country’s growing medal tally. In Badminton, Nigeria’s impressive run continued and its athletes will be competing in six quarterfinal matches on Saturday, reflecting the depth and competitiveness of the team. Also, Nigeria’s Boxing Judo, and Tennis have arrived Angola on Friday, and are set to battle it out for medals...

 PRESS STATEMENT The African Union (AU) has formally awarded Nigeria the hosting rights for the 6th Specialized Technical Committee (STC) Meeting of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), scheduled to hold in 2027. The decision was announced at the Meeting of Ministers of the African Union Sports Council, held on Friday in Bujumbura, Burundi. The STC is one of the African Union’s highest policy-making platforms in the sports, youth, and culture sectors, bringing together Ministers of Sports, Youth, and Culture from all AU Member States to deliberate on continental policies, strategic frameworks, and implementation pathways that shape Africa’s sports development, youth empowerment, and cultural integration agenda. In approving Nigeria’s hosting rights, the Council of Ministers acknowledged the country’s renewed leadership role in African sports, its proven capacity to deliver complex international events, and its growing influence in youth development and cultural advancement init...

PRESS STATEMENT Nigeria has once again taken a leading role on the African continental stage as it participates in the African Union 5th Specialized Technical Committee Meeting on Youth, Culture and Sports (STC-YCS), holding from December 8 —13 in Bujumbura, Burundi.  The country’s delegation is led by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, who is representing Nigeria at the Ministerial Session of the high-level gathering. The Ministerial Meeting, themed “Reclaiming Dignity and Advancing Reparatory Justice Through Youth, Culture and Sport,” brings together African ministers, policymakers, and regional bodies to deliberate on the strategic role of youth development, cultural identity, and sports as tools for empowerment, nation-building, and social transformation across the continent.  Nigeria’s participation reflects its commitment to shaping continental policy and strengthening Africa’s collective approach to youth engagement and sports deve...

PRESS STATEMENT Nigeria has begun its campaign at the 4th Africa Youth Games in Luanda, Angola on a bright and promising note, recording early victories and securing qualification spots across events.  The momentum around Team Nigeria received an additional boost with the arrival of the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, who landed in Luanda to motivate and inspire the athletes as they embark on their quest for continental success. Action on Day One saw Nigeria deliver an impressive performance in table tennis. In the boys’ singles, the country defeated Ethiopia 3–0 to secure a place in the Round of 32. The girls’ singles team was equally dominant, finishing at the top of Group 4 and advancing to the Round of 32 ahead of their counterparts from Madagascar and Ghana. As the Games progress into Day Two, attention turns to the badminton team event, where Nigeria is set to compete in the semifinals. With their strong start and a clear pathway...

Nigeria delivered an impressive outing on day 2 of the 4th African Youth Games, highlighted by a silver-medal finish in the badminton team event after a tightly contested battle against Algeria.  The Nigerian side pushed their opponents to the wire, but Algeria narrowly emerged victorious with a 2–1 win. The contest opened with Algeria taking the first match 45–41, before Nigeria responded strongly to claim the second match 45–43. With the tie level at 1–1, the decider proved intense, but Algeria once again edged ahead 45–43 to seal the overall 2–1 victory and the gold medal.  Nigeria’s resilience and tactical discipline earned them a commendable silver. Team Nigeria will return to action on Friday in golf, where Josephine Clement Benjamin and Destiny Oyero begin their Round 1 campaign. Both golfers will be aiming to set a strong tone as they jostle with competitors from across the continent. Swimming events also commence on Friday at the Piscina do Alvalade pool in Angola....

PRESS STATEMENT Nigeria has formally submitted its bid to the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) to host the 2031 African Games, signaling the nation’s ambition to once again welcome Africa’s premier multisport event nearly 25 years after the successful hosting of the 2003 edition (COJA).  The bid presentation was made during high-level engagements with AUSC, where Nigeria reaffirmed its readiness and capacity to stage another world-class continental festival. Ace sports broadcaster and administrator, Mainasara Ilo presented the bid to the AUSC. Nigeria has demonstrated exceptional organizational capability by successfully hosting a series of major international sporting events. These include the CAA Africa U18/U20 Athletics Championships, Africa Karate Championship, ITTF Africa Youth Table Tennis Championship, African Armwrestling Championship, Badminton National Open, West Africa Para Games, and the African Cadet and Junior Taekwondo Championship, among others.  These achie...

The Orseer Ikyaator Foundation has announced the 2nd Dr. Joseph Ikyaator Tennis Open, a landmark tennis event scheduled to take place from December 16th to 23rd, 2025, in Makurdi, Benue State. This year's competition promises to be a historic milestone for Benue and Nigeria, elevating grassroots tennis development to national prominence. Building on the success of the inaugural tournament, the 2025 edition will feature a National Ranking Tournament, sanctioned to feature Nigeria's highest-ranked professional players. This marks the first time in Nigerian tennis history that Benue State will host a nationally ranked competition, positioning Makurdi as a new destination for elite tennis in Nigeria. For one week, Makurdi will become the National Tennis Capital of Nigeria, attracting top-ranked athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators from across the country. The tournament boasts a prize money of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000) and Five Million Naira (₦5,000,000) in scholarshi...

The National Sports Commission, NSC, has concluded plans to establish an Integrity Unit as part of its ongoing reforms to make Nigeria one of the World's leading Sports countries. Sequel to the recently concluded Council of Sports meeting in Calabar where several decisions were taken to revitalise Nigeria Sports Development drive, the NSC has swiftly swung into action with the establishment of its Integrity Unit (IU). The NSC after securing the approval of the National Council of Sports to criminalise and institutionalise sanctions against age falsification in Nigerian sports, have now taken a further step to create a more structural approach towards its fight against ethical misconduct in sports with its IU ( Integrity Unit) department. The Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said the Integrity unit will work closely with all Sports Federations, the anti doping unit, the athletes and the Elite and Podium board. " The Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko and myself are v...

PRESS STATEMENT The first batch of Nigeria’s contingents to the 4th Africa Youth Games, Luanda 2025, departed the country on Monday, December 8, 2025, as preparations reached peak for the continent’s premier youth multi-sport event. Nigeria will be proudly represented by 86 athletes competing in 12 sports, including athletics, badminton, boxing, beach volleyball, cycling, judo, golf, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, and weightlifting. The Africa Youth Games (AYG), scheduled to hold from December 10 to 20, 2025, mark a historic moment as Angola becomes the first Lusophone nation to host the Games.  The event will unfold across six host cities, including Luanda, Benguela, and Bengo, bringing together young talents aged 14 to 17 from up to 54 African countries. The National Sports Commission stated that the Africa Youth Games serve as a developmental platform aimed at: - Promoting sport and youth engagement across the continent, Identifying and nurturing emerging talent, - P...

  _calls for disciplinary measures for erring officials_  The National Sports Commission, NSC, has called for thorough accountability from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, over the Athletics Integrity Unit's ( AIU ) age discrepancy concerns of some Nigeria young athletes. The AIU of World Athletics has written to Nigeria seeking clarification on age  discrepancies linked to a number of Nigerian young athletes that competed at the CAA U18/U20 Championship in Abeokuta. Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has expressed displeasure with the AFN and maintained that heads will roll if anybody is found culpable. " At a time we are giving no place to age cheat in our Sports , this will not be swept under the carpet I can assure Nigerians. We are determined to get it right from our age grade competitions". The Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said the AFN must put its house in order and display true competence and diligence to ...

PRESS STATEMENT  The road to the 2nd African School Games, Abuja 2027, gained fresh momentum as Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Mr. Lanre (Lekan) Abari, met with top officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC) to align strategies and accelerate preparations for the continent-wide youth sporting event. At the strategic meeting, the LOC Chairman was received by an NSC delegation led by its Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade. Discussions focused on key milestones, infrastructural readiness, and collaborative frameworks ahead of Nigeria hosting the rest of Africa in 2027. Hon. Olopade reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that Abuja delivers a world-class event worthy of Africa’s next generation of sporting champions. “The African School Games represent the future of youth sports development on the continent, and Nigeria is ready to lead from the front,” said Hon. Bukola Olopade, NSC Director General.  “...

Kenya reaffirms its premium dominant in long distance at the Premium Trust bank Abuja City Half marathon with a complete sweep in both men and women races. The trio of kephar namutala, Edwin kipyago, Ezekiel chepkovomi swept the men's top three medals. Namutala won the race in a time of 1:05:14:45 to go home with the cash prize of 8000 US dollars while his country man Kipyago finished second in a time of 1:05:39:73 and a cash prize of 6000 US Dollars.  Ezekiel Chepkoromi finished third in a time of 1:06:05:09 winning the cash prize of 5000 US dollars. Nigeria's Adamu Shehu was Nigeria's best performance as he emerged overall 4th in a time of 1:08:25:49 and won a double cash prize of 2 million Naira and 4000 US dollars for finishing in the overall top eight. Another Nigerian, Auta Monday finished 8th on the overall standing and second in the Nigeria category in a time of 1:09:45::96 to go home with a double cash reward of 500 US dollars and 1.5 million Naira. Friday Elisha w...