For 10 Nigerian athletes, the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow became a stage for history.
Ten times, Nigeria’s anthem rose above the sporting arenas of the Scottish city as athletes stood on the highest step of the podium, gold medals around their necks and the green-white-green flag flying above them, with the national anthem blaring over the speakers around the arenas.
From the powerlifting platform to the weightlifting arena and the athletics track, Team Nigeria produced a campaign that combined established champions, record-breaking performances, and a new generation of athletes announcing themselves on the international stage.
Nigeria eventually returned home with 24 medals, which included 10 gold, seven silver, and seven bronze, finishing seventh overall and as Africa’s highest-ranked nation. The medal haul came from five sports: athletics, para powerlifting, weightlifting, para-athletics, and judo.
The official Glasgow 2026 program was considerably smaller than previous Commonwealth Games, with 10 sports contested. Yet Nigeria maximized its opportunities, particularly in para powerlifting, weightlifting, and athletics.
And behind the 10 gold medals were 10 different stories.
Esther Nworgu — Para Powerlifting
The first Nigerian anthem of the Games belonged to Esther Nworgu. Competing in the women’s lightweight para-powerlifting category, Nworgu produced a record-breaking performance to win gold and immediately announce Nigeria’s intent in Glasgow.
She finished with a Games-record score of 119 points, beating compatriot Esther Oyema, who took silver. Nworgu broke the Commonwealth Games record twice during the competition.
For Nworgu, the victory was the product of months of preparation and sacrifice.
“It was like a dream come true. The joy was incredible because we put so much effort into it through training and preparing mentally, emotionally, and physically. For me, it really was a dream come true,” she said after her victory.
She later credited the National Sports Commission (NSC) for providing the support that enabled Team Nigeria to compete effectively.
“We came here prepared, and the National Sports Commission did a lot. They spent a lot to get us here, and I personally had to put in my best to make sure we made Nigeria proud,” Nworgu said.
Folashade Oluwafemiayo — Para Powerlifting
If Nworgu opened Nigeria’s golden account, Folashade Oluwafemiayo made sure the momentum continued with the Team Nigeria captain delivering one of the most remarkable performances of the Games, winning the women’s heavyweight title while breaking the world record twice.
Oluwafemiayo eventually lifted 175kg to secure gold, while compatriot Rita Ferdinand claimed silver after also setting a world record in the competition.
Riluwan Idris — Para Powerlifting
Riluwan Idris completed Nigeria’s extraordinary opening-day domination of para powerlifting.
The 23-year-old won the men’s heavyweight title after lifting 208 kg on his second attempt. He finished with 132.8 points, ahead of England’s Matthew Harding and Malaysia’s Nicodemus Manggoi Moses.
The gold was particularly significant for Idris because it was his first Commonwealth Games title and thus announced his name to the world.
His victory also gave Nigeria three gold medals from the para-powerlifting program, alongside three silver medals, an emphatic statement from a discipline that has become one of the country’s most reliable sources of international success.
Edidiong Umoafia — Weightlifting
The golden baton then moved from para powerlifting to weightlifting, where Edidiong Umoafia added another title for Nigeria.
Umoafia won the men’s 71kg category with a combined lift of 319kg, helping Nigeria maintain its strong presence in the weightlifting competition.
His triumph formed part of a four-medal haul for Nigeria in the sport, which yielded three gold medals and one silver.
Onome Didih — Weightlifting
Onome Didih continued Nigeria’s golden run in weightlifting with victory in the women’s 53kg category.
Her success reinforced Nigeria’s strength in women’s weightlifting and helped produce a clean sweep of gold medals across three Nigerian victories in the discipline.
Rofiat Lawal — Weightlifting
Rofiat Lawal completed Nigeria’s golden sweep in weightlifting by retaining the women’s 58kg title.
Her victory gave Nigeria three gold medals from four weightlifting podium finishes, with Ruth Nyong adding the sport’s lone silver in the women’s 48kg category.
For Lawal, the victory was another demonstration of her consistency at the highest level and Nigeria’s continued dominance in women’s weightlifting.
The three gold medals in weightlifting, combined with the three won in para powerlifting, meant six of Nigeria’s 10 gold medals had already come from strength sports.
Goodness Nwachukwu — Para Athletics
Then came Goodness Nwachukwu, who produced one of the most spectacular moments of Nigeria’s Glasgow campaign.
Nwachukwu won gold in the women’s F42-44/F61-64 discus throw with a world-record effort of 39.66 meters.
Her victory gave Nigeria its only gold medal in para-athletics and added another major title to her international record.
Her performance was also symbolic of the growing contribution of para-athletes to Nigeria’s international sporting success. While much of the attention surrounding Team Nigeria traditionally focuses on able-bodied athletics, Nwachukwu’s world-record display ensured that para-athletics had its own golden moment in Glasgow.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi — Athletics
When the athletics program gathered pace, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi ensured Nigeria’s golden charge did not slow down.
The powerful shot putter won the men’s event with a throw of 21.07 meters, adding another major Commonwealth title to his collection.
Enekwechi’s victory was particularly important because Nigeria’s field-event tradition has increasingly become a major source of medals on the international circuit.
His gold formed part of a 12-medal athletics haul, which is the largest contribution by any sport to Nigeria’s overall tally.
Ezekiel Nathaniel — Athletics
Ezekiel Nathaniel delivered another historic moment on the track.
The Nigerian won the men’s 400m hurdles in 48.47 seconds, becoming the first Nigerian man to win Commonwealth Games gold in the event.
It was more than another medal. It was a breakthrough in an event where Nigeria had previously been unable to produce a male Commonwealth champion.
Nathaniel’s triumph also reinforced the emergence of a new generation of Nigerian track stars capable of challenging for major titles beyond the traditional sprint events.
Samuel Ogazi — Athletics
And then came the young Samuel Ogazi.
The 20-year-old provided one of the defining moments of Nigeria’s Glasgow campaign when he won the men’s 400m gold in 44.25 seconds.
Ogazi became the first Nigerian man to win Commonwealth Games gold in the event, bringing the country’s gold-medal tally to 10.
His victory was significant beyond the medal itself. It represented the arrival of a young athlete on one of the biggest stages in Commonwealth sport and offered a glimpse of what Nigeria’s next generation could achieve.
Together with Nathaniel and several other emerging athletes, Ogazi helped reinforce the sense that Nigerian athletics is entering a period of renewal.
It must be noted that the 10 gold medals tell only part of the story, as Nigeria’s 24-medal haul also included seven silver and seven bronze medals. Athletics produced 12 medals, para powerlifting six, and weightlifting four, while para-athletics and judo contributed one each.
The judo bronze won by Enku Ekuta in the women’s -63kg category was particularly significant, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for a Commonwealth Games medal in the sport.
Tinubu hails Team Nigeria
The achievement did not go unnoticed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he congratulated Team Nigeria, praising the athletes for demonstrating “the resilience, determination, discipline, and excellence that define the Nigerian spirit.”
Tinubu described the 24 medals as a testament to the athletes’ “hard work and perseverance” and praised them for flying Nigeria’s flag “with dignity and pride.”
“Whether on the podium or through courageous performances in the competition, every member of Team Nigeria has represented our nation with honour, dignity, and pride,” the President said.
Similarly, a former Sports Minister and presidential aide Sunday Dare also described the performance as evidence that Nigeria’s sports development strategy is moving in the right direction.
“I join millions of Nigerians in congratulating our athletes, coaches and officials on their wonderful performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” Dare said.
He particularly praised the continuity in Nigeria’s sports administration, noting that the country had maintained its position as Africa’s best-performing nation at the Commonwealth Games.
“It is gratifying to see that the team has maintained that upward trajectory in Glasgow. This consistency shows that Nigeria is making steady progress in sports development and that sustained investment and continuity will continue to deliver positive results,” he said.
For Athletics Federation of Nigeria Performance Director Victor Okorie, Glasgow represented more than a successful medal campaign.
“We are not just celebrating medals; we are celebrating a defining moment in the history of Nigerian sports,” he said.
And across Glasgow, the Nigerian anthem became the soundtrack to a campaign that showed once again that, when talent is matched with preparation, support and opportunity, Nigeria can still produce champions on the biggest stages.
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