As the 2026 World Athletics Relays get underway in Gaborone, Botswana, on Saturday, Nigeria will look to its mix of seasoned athletes and up-and-coming talent to qualify for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Nigeria will send a 24-man team to compete in all six relay events during the two-day competition, which is set for May 2–3. On Monday, the team left Nigeria on Ethiopian Airlines, and some athletes from other countries are anticipated to connect straight from their overseas training facilities.
The addition of sprint star Favour Ashe to the men’s 4x100m relay team is one of the most talked-about aspects of the Nigerian squad. Ashe, a bronze medallist at the Commonwealth Games, returns to national service following months of rumors that he could defect to Qatar.
The 23-year-old leads a formidable sprint squad that also includes James Taiwo Emmanuel, Chidera Ezeakor, and Enoch Adegoke, who advanced to the men’s 100-meter Olympic final in Tokyo.
The All-African Games gold winner Chidi Okezie, who is anticipated to run in both the men’s and mixed relay events alongside Emmanuel Ojeli and Sikiru Adeyemi, will help Nigeria’s 4x400m aspirations.
Nigeria will mostly rely on Blessing Ogundiran’s pace in the women’s division. Ogundiran, who finished last weekend with an amazing 10.98 seconds in the 100 meters, is presently the joint fastest woman in the world this year.
She will compete in the women’s 4×100-meter relay alongside Rosemary Chukwuma, Rosemary Nwankwo, and Miracle Ezechukwu.
Patience, a seasoned quarter-miler Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay team, which includes Arizona State University’s Anita Enaruna, a rapidly rising NCAA athlete, is anticipated to be anchored by Okon George.
Nigeria has had some success in the World Relays’ history, taking home bronze in the first edition in 2014 and gold in the women’s 4x200m event in 2015 thanks to the efforts of Blessing Okagbare, Regina George, Dominique Duncan, and Christy Udoh.
In an effort to re-establish Nigeria as one of the top relay nations in the world, the team will be keen to make up for missing the 2025 edition in Guangzhou, China, due to visa issues.
Nigerian team contingent
4 x 100 Men
Adegoke Enoch
Prefer Ashe
Emmanuel James Taiwo
Ezeakor Chidera
Godwin Tejire
Men’s 4x400m
Azukwo Ezekiel Enoh
Gafari Badmus
Ime, Victor
Samson Nathaniel
Ojeli Emmanuel
Okezie Chidi
Women’s 4x100m
Chukwuka Jenifer
Chukwuma Rosemary
Ezechukwu Miracle
Nwankwo Rosemary
Ogundiran’s blessing
Omokwe, Maria Thompson
Women’s 4x400m
Enaruna Anita
Okon George, be patient.
Toheebat Jimoh
Kudoro Taiwo Mary
Lawrence, Jecinta
Okon, Esther
4 x 100 m Mixed
Adegoke Enoch
Chukwuma Rosemary
Emmanuel James Taiwo
Ezeakor Chidera
Ezechukwu Miracle
Ogundiran’s blessing
4 x 400 m Mixed
Adewale Adeyemi Sekiru
Enaruna Anita
Okon George, be patient.
Toheebat Jimoh
Chidi Okezie Emmanuel Ojeli
About The Author
