By Andrew Abah, Abuja
The wait is almost over. After months of meticulous planning, weeks of intensive high-performance training in Aberdeen, Scotland and years of preparation, Team Nigeria is finally set for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which officially get underway.
The Nigerian contingent has now settled into the Games Village following the conclusion of its final training camp in Aberdeen, while the national 3×3 basketball team arrive from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to complete Team Nigeria’s delegation.
The nation’s quest for medals begins on Friday, July 24, when Nigeria’s formidable Para Powerlifting team takes to the platform, hoping to set the tone for what the National Sports Commission believes will be another memorable Commonwealth Games campaign.
Leading that charge is Team Nigeria captain Folashade Oluwafemiayo, arguably the greatest para powerlifter of her generation. The reigning Commonwealth Games champion, two-time Paralympic gold medallist, four-time world champion and multiple world record holder has dominated the women’s heavyweight division for years.
Fresh from successfully defending her Paralympic title in Paris and continuing her reign as the world’s No. 1, Oluwafemiayo will be seeking to retain the Commonwealth title she won in Birmingham and once again give Nigeria the perfect start to the Games.
Joining her on the platform is Rita Ferdinand, one of the fastest-rising stars in world para powerlifting. The reigning world champion heads to Glasgow with enormous confidence after producing one of the standout performances of the season at the African Open Championships in Oran, Algeria, where she lifted 154kg to equal the women’s world record while setting a new African record in the up to 79kg category. Her remarkable consistency over the past year has established her as one of Nigeria’s strongest favourites to climb the top step of the podium.
On the athletics track, Team Nigeria boasts one of the most exciting sprint stars in global athletics in Kayinsola Ajayi. The Auburn University sensation has enjoyed a breakthrough season that has elevated him into the world’s elite. Ajayi swept collegiate athletics by winning both the NCAA Indoor 60m Championship and the NCAA Outdoor 100m title, before announcing himself on the international stage by equalling the Nigerian national record of 9.84 seconds.
Even more impressive, he defeated reigning world champion Oblique Seville at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic in Eugene before beating the Jamaican star again at the London Diamond League just days before Glasgow, confirming that Nigeria possesses one of the world’s fastest men heading into the Games.
Nigeria will once again look to Tobi Amusan to also lead its athletics medal charge. The world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles and two-time Commonwealth Games champion has rediscovered her finest form in 2026, winning two Diamond League meetings this season, including an impressive victory in Paris, where she stormed to gold in a season-best 12.28 seconds, defeating Americans Grace Stark and Alaysha Johnson.
Earlier in the season, she also won the Rabat Diamond League and claimed another African title, while securing qualification for the Diamond League final. Now chasing an unprecedented third consecutive Commonwealth Games title, Amusan remains one of the biggest stars expected to light up Glasgow.
In the field events, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi carries Nigeria’s hopes in the shot put. The African record holder with a throw of 22.10 metres, two-time African champion and multiple African Games gold medallist has consistently ranked among the world’s best throwers, reaching successive World Championships finals while establishing himself as Africa’s premier shot put athlete. His experience on the biggest stages makes him one of Nigeria’s strongest medal prospects in Glasgow.
Nigeria’s boxing campaign will be spearheaded by Patricia Mbata, whose rise has been nothing short of hope.
