Nigeria delivered another dominant performance at the African Athletics Championships in Accra after the country’s women’s relay team shattered a championship record to win gold in the 4x100m event, while the men’s team secured silver in an intense final won by Ivory Coast.
The Nigerian women’s quartet made history on Friday with a sensational performance that confirmed the country’s dominance in African sprinting.
The team, made up of Rosemary Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka Obi, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Miracle Ezechukwu, stormed to victory in an outstanding time of 42.94 seconds.
The remarkable run not only earned Nigeria the gold medal but also established a new championship record in the women’s 4x100m event.
With the performance, Nigeria became the first country in the history of the African Athletics Championships to complete the women’s relay race in under 43 seconds.
The victory also allowed the Nigerian women to successfully defend the title they previously won, further strengthening their reputation as one of Africa’s most formidable sprint relay teams.
The historic performance matched the team’s season-best time and highlighted the growing strength, depth, and consistency of Nigerian women in athletics.
Liberia finished second to claim silver, while host nation Ghana secured bronze in front of home supporters.
The race drew loud reactions from spectators inside the University of Ghana Stadium as the Nigerian quartet powered to victory with precision baton exchanges and explosive finishing speed.
The women’s triumph crowned what has already been a highly successful championship campaign for Team Nigeria.
In the men’s 4x100m relay final, Nigeria also delivered a strong performance to secure silver in one of the most competitive races of the championships.
The Nigerian men’s team, consisting of Favour Ashe, James Taiwo Emmanuel, Tejiri Godwin, and Chidera Ezeakor, clocked an impressive 38.70 seconds.
The race reached a dramatic climax as anchor runner Chidera Ezeakor produced a powerful final sprint that helped Nigeria overtake Ghana right at the finish line to clinch second place.
However, despite the strong finish from the Nigerian side, Ivory Coast produced an even faster performance to secure the gold medal with a winning time of 38.52 seconds.
Ghana settled for bronze after narrowly losing second position in the closing moments of the race.
Nigeria’s relay success added to an already productive outing at the continental competition, which began on May 12 and will conclude on May 17 in Accra.
The country’s athletes have consistently delivered medal-winning performances across multiple track events, reinforcing Nigeria’s status as one of Africa’s athletics powerhouses.
Earlier in the championships, Chidera Ezeakor had already announced himself as one of Nigeria’s standout performers after winning bronze in the men’s 100m final.
The sprinter finished with a time of 10.32 seconds, the same time recorded by South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana.
However, Nkoana was awarded silver after officials applied countback rules to separate both athletes.
Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon claimed gold in the event with a winning time of 10.26 seconds.
Nigeria’s Rosemary Chukwuma, who later contributed to the women’s relay record-breaking performance, also came heartbreakingly close to securing individual gold in the women’s 100m event earlier in the competition.
The Nigerian sprinter crossed the line in 11.49 seconds, exactly the same time as Cameroon’s Hervérge Kole Etame.
After reviewing the race details, officials awarded the gold medal to the Cameroonian athlete on countback, leaving Chukwuma with silver despite matching the winning time.
Liberia’s Thelma Davies claimed bronze with a time of 11.51 seconds.
Nigeria also dominated the women’s 100m hurdles event through world record holder Tobi Amusan.
The Nigerian superstar once again demonstrated her class by reclaiming the African title and leading a complete Nigerian podium sweep in the event.
Amusan crossed the finish line in 12.83 seconds to secure her third African Championships title.
Fellow Nigerians Ashley Miller and Adaobi Tabugbo completed the clean sweep by winning silver and bronze respectively.
Ashley Miller finished in 13.24 seconds while Adaobi Tabugbo followed closely in 13.26 seconds.
Nigeria also celebrated another gold medal victory in the mixed 4x400m relay.
The Nigerian team of Ezekiel Asuquo, Toheebat Jimoh, Victor Sampson, and Patience Okon-George delivered an excellent performance to win the race in 3:16.41.
Nigeria held off strong competition from Botswana and Kenya to secure the title.
Botswana finished second in 3:17.88, while Kenya claimed bronze with a time of 3:17.94.
The impressive medal haul has further highlighted Nigeria’s growing strength across sprint and relay events as the country continues to produce elite athletes capable of competing at the highest international level.
Sports analysts believe the performances in Accra will provide major confidence for Nigerian athletes ahead of future global competitions, including the Olympics and World Championships.
The championship successes have also renewed optimism among fans and athletics stakeholders who believe Nigeria’s current generation of sprinters possesses the talent to dominate African athletics for years to come.
