By Ben Efe 20.3.2026
Unless there is some kind of intervention, Nigerian top athletes may not be available for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games bill for Glasgow, Scotland July 23-August 3, 2026.
This is because of the stringent immigration policy pursued by the US administration. Most top Nigerian athletes are based in the US and they may not be able to re-enter if they travel out of the country.
At the World Indoors Championships in Poland, Nigeria has only one athlete ready to compete. He is Chukwuebuka Enekwechi who has a US passport. Other athletes with Nigeria passports who need visas to enter the US wouldn’t venture to travel.
“It’s not the fault of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the National Sports Commission we have only Chukwuebuka in Poland,” said an athletics official.
“It’s the President Donald Trump’s immigration policy which states that as a visa holder from the countries blacklisted by US immigration, once you leave the US, you have to reapply for a visa it doesn’t matter whether your visa is valid or not.
“Nigerian athletes who do not have US issued passports don’t want to leave for Nigeria or other countries and get stranded because they have to reapply for fresh visas.”
He said the AFN and NSC officials are now scratching their heads on what to do ahead of the Commonwealth Games as athletes like Tobi Amusan, Blessing Ogundiran, Ella Onojuvwehwo, Temitope Adeshina, Kanyinsola Ajayi, Sunday Alika Okon, Samuel Ogazi and many others with Nigeria passports dare not step out of the US.
“This may affect our Commonwealth Games plans.
“The NSC and AFN are now looking for ways to make the Nigerian athletes travel and return to the USA without hitches,” said the official.