Favour Ofili has officially completed her nationality switch from Nigeria to Turkey, Afrosport reports.
The 22-year-old sprinter, omitted from Nigeria’s 15-athlete squad for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, confirmed the move on Monday, putting an end to months of speculation.
Her decision comes after a series of frustrations with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC). Ofili was controversially excluded from the women’s 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics despite meeting qualification standards.
She also endured heartbreak at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, when administrative failings by the AFN and Nigeria’s National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) left her, along with 13 others, ineligible to compete.
Ofili reflected on her decision, she wrote on X: “Wrapping up my 2025 season has been a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions. Racing back-to-back across amazing cities and learning from the best has been incredible. 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 a 200-meter Olympic finalist. While experiencing the biggest disappointment from AFN and NOC negligence towards me in Olympics (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision.”
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist also dismissed claims that her switch was financially motivated. She will miss this year’s World Championships in Tokyo (13–21 September) but will be eligible to represent Turkey from 2027.
“While that means sitting out this year’s championship in Tokyo, this change comes from the heart, not from financial motives,” said the Port Harcourt-born athlete. “I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Turkey.”
Ofili now joins a growing list of elite Nigerian athletes who have switched allegiances, including Salwa Eid Naser and Kemi Adekoya (Bahrain), Femi Ogunode (Qatar), Francis Obikwelu (Portugal), Glory Alozie (Spain), and Daniel Igali (Canada).
