Favour Ofili may face a three-year wait to fly Turkey’s flag, as global rules throw a wrench in her alleged shock switch from Nigeria, despite heartbreak, scandal, and years of being failed by her home federation.
In line with World Athletics’ eligibility rules, the 22-year-old sprint sensation, who competed for Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics, could be subject to a mandatory three-year waiting period before she can compete for her alleged new country—unless a waiver is granted by the relevant authorities. Her decision, fueled by frustration over repeated administrative failures by Nigerian athletics officials, has stirred national debate on athlete welfare and systemic negligence in Nigerian sports.
The 22-year-old’s alleged switch was first announced by TV Jamaica News and Radio, who reported that Ofili has informed the Athletics Integrity Unit of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation.
This development has sent shockwaves across the athletics community and sparked critical debates about talent mismanagement, administrative failure, and the future of Nigerian sports.
Ofili, a dynamic force on the track who competes in the 100m, 200m, and 400m events, has built an impressive résumé in just a few short years. She currently holds Nigeria’s national 200m record with a time of 21.96 seconds, breaking Blessing Okagbare’s long-standing record and etching her name into history books.
#BreakingNews
Nigerian sprinter @FavOfili has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025. According to impeccable @TvjNewscentre sources, 22-year-old Ofili has advised the @aiu_athletics of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation. pic.twitter.com/Jki58PN4L8
— Kayon Raynor (@kayraynor) June 22, 2025
In May 2024, she stunned the world with a blistering 15.85-second finish in the rarely run 150m, setting a new world record in the women’s category. She also became the first Nigerian woman to reach the Olympic 200m final and holds the distinction of being the first female NCAA athlete to break 11 seconds in the 100m and 22 seconds in the 200m, an extraordinary feat that highlights her elite talent.
Yet, for all her achievements, Favour Ofili’s story is not just one of athletic brilliance; it is also a tale of betrayal by the system that should have protected and celebrated her.
Ofili’s relationship with the Nigerian athletics system has been marred by two major administrative blunders, each causing irreparable emotional and professional damage.
Tokyo 2020 (Held in 2021): The Out-of-Competition Testing Scandal
In the lead-up to her anticipated Olympic debut, Nigeria was unable to meet World Athletics’ anti-doping requirements, failing to properly test at least 10 of its athletes, including Ofili. Due to this negligence, she was disqualified from competing at the Tokyo Games, a heartbreaking outcome for a rising star.
It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters at this Olympic Games. I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what? pic.twitter.com/eehuKziNaU
— Favour Ofili (@FavOfili) July 30, 2024
Paris 2024: Documentation Disgrace
As Ofili sought redemption at the 2024 Olympics, Nigeria failed her again four years later. Due to documentation and registration errors by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), her name was omitted from the 100m entry list, even though she had qualified. According to sources close to the athlete, this second blow left her emotionally devastated.
“She almost went mad,” a confidant revealed, describing the heartbreak of being denied another opportunity to shine on the biggest stage.
- Despite systemic neglect, Ofili has continued to shine:
- National Record Holder – 200m (21.96s)
- World Record Holder – Women’s 150m (15.85s)
- Commonwealth Silver Medalist – 200m
- Commonwealth Gold Medalist – 4x100m Relay
- NCAA Star – First woman to go sub-11 in 100m and sub-22 in 200m in collegiate history
Now, Turkey stands to benefit from these historic talents, not Nigeria.
SWITCHING ALLEGIANCE: WHAT THE RULES SAY
While Ofili’s switch has not been officially confirmed, she cannot immediately represent Turkey in major international competitions. World Athletics’ Eligibility Rules offer a framework for athlete transfers:
An athlete who has previously represented one country in a National Representative Competition (such as the Olympic Games) must observe a three-year waiting period from the date their application is submitted before representing another country.
As seen in World Athletics’ Book of Rules under the Transfer of Allegiance Regulations, approved by the Council on 13 July 2022, effective from 15 August 2022;
A competitor who has represented one country in the Olympic Games, in continental or regional games or in world or regional championships recognised by the relevant International Federation(IF), and who has changed his nationality or acquired a new nationality, may participate in the Olympic Games to represent his/her new country provided that at least three years have passed since the competitor last represented his former country.
This period may be reduced or even cancelled, with the agreement of the NOCs and IF concerned, by the IOC Executive Board, which takes into account the circumstances of each case.
What does this mean for Ofili?
Since Ofili competed for Nigeria at Paris 2024, she will be ineligible to represent Turkey at upcoming global events such as the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo or possibly even the 2027 edition in Beijing, as she must wait three years before representing Turkey, according to the rules, as this helps maintain fairness and prevent constant switching for competitive or personal advantage.
However, she could be eligible to represent Turkey in the next competitions if there is an agreement among the relevant NOCs and the IF.
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This provides flexibility in cases where:
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The athlete moved for humanitarian reasons (e.g., conflict, asylum).
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They did not compete recently.
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There is mutual consent from all governing bodies involved.
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Other grounds for waiver of the waiting period in “exceptional circumstances”
These include:
- Administrative negligence by the previous federation
- Mismanagement that significantly harmed the athlete’s career
- Genuine and credible links to the new country
Ofili’s case could qualify under multiple grounds, particularly given the repeated and well-documented negligence of Nigerian sports authorities in 2020 and 2024. The emotional toll and career setbacks suffered could be viewed as compelling grounds for a shortened waiting period.
The AFN could also ease the process for Ofili after stating that it would “not stop her” if she so wishes to switch to Turkey, citing her body language to moves made “to get her fully prepared and back to the big athletics family”.
AFN reacts, says won’t stop Ofili from Turkey switch
In response to the development, the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Tonobok Okowa, says the federation won’t stop women’s 150m world record holder, Favour Ofili, from switching her nationality to Turkey, despite being greeted by the shock in the media.
Okowa said he was shocked by the reported allegiance switch of the 22-year-old, as the federation awaits correspondence from World Athletics.
Ofili was said to have switched her allegiance to the European country, just three months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“If this is true, it is sad, disheartening and painful, but we are yet to get any official statement from her or any correspondence from World Athletics, on her request. She is a promising athlete with huge potential,” Okowa said in a statement.
“From the moves we have been making to get her fully prepared and back to the big athletics family, and her response, it’s also clear that she has been preparing and working on her newfound Turkish love. She is old enough to decide what’s best for her, but it is painful and hard to take for us; however, we will not stop her, she is still our child, sister and daughter.
“We want to apologise to Nigerians, the National Sports Commission and the millions of people around the world who hold the sport and country in high esteem for this sad development.”
