From football to basketball to track, Nigerian women are dominating with or without the support they deserve.
Basketball
5-Time Queens Nigeria’s D’Tigress just clinched their 5th straight Afrobasket title, remaining undefeated for a whole decade. Led by Rena Wakama, the first woman to coach a team to Afrobasket glory, they’ve become the gold standard for African women’s basketball. Still, they’ve had to fight for bonuses and recognition off the court. Imagine what they could do with full support?
Football
Mission X Accomplished. The Super Falcons came back from 2 goals down to beat Morocco and secure a historic 10th WAFCON title. They did it on enemy soil, in front of a roaring home crowd, and reminded us all why they’ve dominated for decades. Nigeria remains undefeated in WAFCON finals but still battles systemic neglect.
Track & Field
Eyes on Tokyo. From Tobi Amusan to Favour Ofili, Nigerian track stars are already booked for the 2025 World Championships. They’re fast, focused, and fearless, and they’ve kept Nigerian athletics alive on the world stage. Favour Ofili shattered the world record in the women’s 150m straight track at the 2025 Adidas Atlanta City Games, running 15.85s. Tobi Amusan is the current world record holder in the 100m hurdles, with a time of 12.12s, set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Ese Brume holds the African long jump record at 7.17m, achieved in Chula Vista, California. But let’s be honest: their wins come despite the system, not because of it.
They win, we cheer, and then what? Nigerian women athletes are carrying this country in sports, but also carrying the weight of structural failures, poor funding, and silence.
It’s time to do more than clap. It’s time to invest, amplify, and protect the future they’re already building. They have done their part. Have we done ours?
