By Charles Pemu 
Nigerian sprint sensation and 150m world record holder, Favour Ofili, has reportedly filed to switch her sporting allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey. The shocking news comes just three months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where Ofili is already qualified to compete.
The development was first broken by Jamaica-based journalist Kayon Raynor via X, who stated, “Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025.”
According to Raynor’s sources from TVJ News Centre, the 22-year-old Ofili informed the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of her deep frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation (AFN). Her decision reportedly stems from a series of administrative blunders by Nigerian authorities that severely impacted her Olympic participation.
Raynor detailed Ofili’s grievances, explaining that the AFN allegedly caused her to miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by failing to confirm her doping control tests. Furthermore, she reportedly missed competing in the 100m at the recent Paris Olympics because the federation did not enter her for the event, though she did finish sixth in the 200m final.
It’s understood that Ofili emphasized to the AIU that her switch to Turkey is not for financial reasons, but rather due to these persistent administrative failures.
As of now, World Athletics still lists Ofili as a Nigerian athlete. She remains among the elite competitors who have qualified for the upcoming World Championships scheduled to take place from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo.
Ofili made global headlines in May at the Adidas Atlanta City Games, where she shattered the 150m world record, clocking an astonishing 15.85 seconds. This remarkable feat surpassed the previous record of 16.23 seconds held by Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, highlighting the significant talent Nigeria stands to lose.