By Ben Efe 2.4.2026
Athletics Federation of Nigeria is looking to boost its reverse of home-based athletics talents with a view to stop the over reliance on their foreign based colleagues as the country prepare for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
To this end Nigerian athletes will be participating in the Botswana national trials, which begins on Friday. Three athletes Miracle Ezechukwu, Ezekiel Asuquo, and Rosemary Nwankwo, arrived in Botswana to join others that were already there for the Lefika International Relays meet held in late March.
According to AFN officials the goal is to ensure that Nigeria have rich pool of athletes, and the National Sports Commission is backing the initiative.
The teams in Gaborone, the Botswana capital are looking to improve on their World Relay ratings and also pick qualification for the quartets that are yet to book their spot. Nigeria is already in four events, the women’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, mixed 4x100m, and men’s 4x400m.
Speaking on the development renowned Nigerian track and field coach Taiwo Ariyo popularly known as Mr. T stated that the only way Nigeria will not be bothered about foreign based athletes not coming home is to develop more home-grown talents.
“Student athletes have to weigh their options before coming home for trials and other competitions they are invited…there is the risk of the unknown is a factor.
” So, Nigeria cannot Solely rely on the foreign based athletes when we have over 100 million to choose from back home,” said Ariyo who is the head coach Werner University Florida, USA.