For every successful multi-sport competition, there is a catalyst. At the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Nigeria’s weightlifters and para powerlifters have found their mojo, driving the country’s charge for medals in Glasgow.
Their performances so far have lifted Nigeria’s overall standings in the medal table. Ten of the country’s 12 medals have come from weightlifting and para powerlifting—accounting for all six of Nigeria’s gold medals so far.
From Edidiong Umoafia’s record-shattering total in the men’s 71kg category to dominant gold-medal sweeps in the women’s events, the lifters are proving to be the indisputable powerhouses of Team Nigeria’s campaign.
The nation’s campaign in weightlifting and para powerlifting started on a record-breaking note.
Edidiong Umoafia set the arena alight by snatching the Games record of 147kg before lifting 172kg in the clean and jerk. It totalled 319kg, another record in the Commonwealth Games.
The 23-year-old had won bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games but took two steps forward to land gold in Scotland.
An excited Umoafia, who admitted the feat was “not easy”, described it as a reflection of his hard work over the years.
“Every day, every chance, every minute, I made sure I used my time well. I ate well, slept well, and rested,” he said. “I put all my focus into this moment, into this day. Working for four years for this moment has been a long journey. It was not easy for me, but I had to try my hardest after the last Commonwealth Games.
“After I won bronze in Birmingham, I went back and trained hard, every day, every chance, every minute, and I tried to use my time well. I used all my thinking for this moment, for this day.”
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As the Games wore on, it only got better for Team Nigeria. This time, it was in the women’s event where Omolola Didih delivered a masterclass in the 53kg.
Didih lifted 93kg, five kilogrammes more than her competitors, to get another gold medal for Nigeria and rewrite the history books with every lift. She started with 93kg in the Snatch, then hoisted 113kg in the Clean & Jerk, ending in a commanding 206kg Total to cap a gold-medal sweep.
“I’m very happy and very excited because these are my first Games ever, my first Commonwealths,” Didih said after making history in the Scottish capital. “We have prepared really well for these Commonwealths. We came for a training tour, so we would be prepared for the weather and conditions.”
It was a similar story for Rafiatu Lawal in the women’s 58kg division. Her composure helped the 2025 World Championship silver medalist to a Commonwealth record and Games record of 103kg in the snatch.
Lawal said the gold medal lift was a “proud” moment for her and a testament to “hard work”.
“I’m proud of myself and proud of my hard work. The conditions went well for me today, and the crowd was so amazing. To see a crowd shouting for Nigeria motivated me.
“This is the best. Since I’ve been competing, I’ve never had six complete attempts, but today I had six complete attempts without any scares, and I’m happy with that.”
That was not all for Team Nigeria’s medal rush. Ruth Nyong added silver to the country’s medals when she came out second in the 48kg category of the women’s weightlifting event.
Nyong began with a 71kg in the snatch before lifting 75kg. She failed in her third lift, the 22-year-old. However, after two unsuccessful attempts to lift 93kg in the Clean and Jerk, she did succeed in her third attempt.
The Nigerian’s total point haul of 168 in both the Snatch and Clean and Jerk was a new personal best for her.
The Bench Powerhouse
As the country’s weightlifters were smashing records, Nigeria’s para powerlifters were also writing their names into the history books.
Esther Nworgu set the stage by winning Nigeria’s first gold of the Commonwealth Games.
The Paralympic silver medallist produced a lift of 123kg, earning 119 points to achieve the milestone. Her compatriot, Esther Oyema, took silver after registering a best lift of 125kg to finish with 115.5 points.
Nworgu, who is from Abia, expectedly received commendation from the Abia government, which said her achievement is a “source of immense pride for the state and a reflection of the growing impact of Abia athletes on the international sporting scene.”
“Esther Nworgu’s historic performance not only delivered gold for Nigeria but also reinforced Abia’s reputation as a breeding ground for champions and an exporter of sporting excellence to the world,” the Abia government wrote on its website while lauding her outing in Glasgow.
The country’s medal surge also saw veteran Roland Ezuruike coming within touching distance of reclaiming the Commonwealth title he won in 2018.
The 50-year-old had to settle for silver, beaten by England’s Mark Swan by the finest of margins.
Ezuruike and the English para powerlifter ended tied on 153.9 points in the men’s lightweight event, but Swan took gold after his tiebreaker score proved superior by two decimal places.
The Nigerian had previously won gold in the men’s 54kg powerlifting event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
Riluwan Idris also produced a golden moment for Nigeria, claiming gold with 132.8 points with a 208kg lift.
He lifted 200kg in his first attempt and finished with 132.8 points to claim his first-ever Commonwealth Games gold ahead of England’s Matthew Harding and Malaysia’s Nicodemus Manggoi Moses, who won silver and bronze, respectively.
Carrying Nigeria’s Momentum
Whether on the weightlifting platform or the powerlifting bench, Nigeria’s lifters have laid down a marker for the rest of Team Nigeria to follow as the Commonwealth Games enters its final days.
