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With less than 24 hours to the opening of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Team Nigeria has completed its final preparations and moved into the Games Village, setting the stage for the country’s medal campaign.
The Nigerian contingent arrived from its high-performance training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland, while the national 3×3 basketball team joined the delegation from Amsterdam to complete Team Nigeria’s full Games roster.
Nigeria’s campaign begins on Friday with para powerlifting, a sport that has consistently delivered medals for the country at major international competitions.
Team captain Folashade Oluwafemiayo will lead the charge in Glasgow. The reigning Commonwealth Games champion, two-time Paralympic gold medallist, four-time world champion and multiple world record holder is seeking to defend the title she won in Birmingham and provide Nigeria with an early gold-medal breakthrough.
Also competing is Rita Ferdinand, the reigning world champion in the up to 79kg category.
Ferdinand heads to Glasgow in outstanding form after equalling the women’s world record with a 154kg lift and setting a new African record at the African Open Championships in Oran, Algeria.
On the athletics track, Nigeria’s hopes will be anchored by sprint sensation Kayinsola Ajayi and world record holder Tobi Amusan.
Ajayi has emerged as one of the fastest men in the world in 2026 after winning both the NCAA Indoor 60m title and the NCAA Outdoor 100m crown. He recently equalled the Nigerian national record of 9.84 seconds and recorded back-to-back victories over reigning world champion Oblique Seville at the Prefontaine Classic and the London Diamond League.
Amusan, the women’s 100m hurdles world record holder and two-time Commonwealth Games champion, arrives in Glasgow after a strong Diamond League campaign that included victories in Rabat and Paris. The Nigerian star is chasing a historic third consecutive Commonwealth Games title.
In the field events, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will carry Nigeria’s shot put medal hopes. The African record holder and two-time African champion has established himself as one of the continent’s most accomplished throwers, with successive World Championships final appearances.
Nigeria’s boxing campaign will be led by Patricia Mbata, the British-born middleweight boxer who switched allegiance to Nigeria and won gold at the African Games before earning her Commonwealth Games place through the national trials.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) expressed confidence that Team Nigeria is capable of another strong Commonwealth Games performance, citing the depth of talent across para sports, athletics, boxing and other disciplines.
The Commission also highlighted a new athlete-focused welfare package introduced under Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade. The package includes increased daily and camping allowances, travel support for athletes and officials, and enhanced medal incentives, with gold medallists eligible for rewards of up to $8,000 in combined bonuses.
With Paralympic champions, world champions, Commonwealth champions, Diamond League winners and national record holders in its ranks, Team Nigeria enters Glasgow 2026 with genuine expectations of a significant medal haul.
