Nigerian sprinter and 150m world record holder, Favour Ofili, has reportedly filed an application to switch allegiance to Turkey, just three months ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
On May 17, LSU Men’s & Women’s Track & Field shared a video on its official X account celebrating Ofili’s achievement.
“150M WORLD RECORD. FAVOUR OFILI. 15.85 seconds (+2.0 m/s),” it said.
It was gathered that Ofili’s reported switch of allegiance followed her meeting the 100m qualifying standard for Paris 2024 — only for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) to fail to submit her name. This marks the second time she has missed an Olympic opportunity due to administrative mishandling.
In 2021, she also missed the Tokyo Olympics 200m event after the AFN and the Nigeria Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) failed to arrange timely testing, a lapse that affected 13 other athletes.
Ofili’s switch was announced on Sunday by Kayon Raynor, a multi-award-winning Jamaican sports journalist and Deputy Group Head of Sports (Electronic) at the RJRGLEANER Communications Group.
He said, “Nigerian sprinter @FavOfili (Favour Ofili) has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025. According to impeccable @TvjNewscentre (TVJ News Centre) sources, 22-year-old Ofili has advised the @aiu_athletics (Athletics Integrity Unit) of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation.”
Raynor added that Ofili blamed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for causing her to miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after it failed to confirm her doping control test numbers. She said the AFN was again responsible for her missing out on the 100m event at the Paris Olympics by failing to enter her name, despite her qualification. Ofili went on to place sixth in the 200m final.
“It’s further understood that Ofili impressed up on the AIU that her switch to Turkey was not for financial reasons,” he added.
“She owns personal best times of 10.93secs and 21.96secs in the 100m and 200m, respectively.”
Ofili has reportedly applied to switch her allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025.
According to Raynor, Ofili informed the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) that her decision stemmed from years of neglect and mistreatment by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). She further clarified in her petition that the move was driven by frustration, not financial incentives.
If approved, World Athletics’ transfer of allegiance rules require Ofili to wait at least three years before she can represent Turkey in competition.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from the AFN, Turkish Athletics Federation, or World Athletics. Ofili’s profile still lists Nigeria as her country, and the situation remains unconfirmed and may still be unfolding.
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