Team Nigeria make waves with 35-medal haul at Africa Zone 2 Championships

Posted : 02 September 2026

Team Nigeria produced a remarkable performance at the Africa Zone 2 Swimming Championships in Dakar, Senegal, returning home with an impressive haul of 35 medals as the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAqF) described the outing as one of the country’s best performances at the zonal championship in more than a decade.

The Nigerian contingent finished the competition with 17 gold, 14 silver, and four bronze medals, secured across individual and relay events, underlining the depth of talent emerging in the country’s swimming programme.

The medal haul represents a significant milestone for Nigerian aquatics, with the federation noting that such a level of success had not been recorded by Nigeria at the Africa Zone 2 Championships in over 10 years.

President of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Hon. Lekan Fatodu, described the performance as a strong indication of the progress being made in the development of swimming, particularly with the impressive contributions from the country’s junior swimmers.

Fatodu commended the athletes, coaches, and technical officials for their discipline, commitment, and determination throughout the competition, saying the results reflected the growing confidence within the Nigerian swimming programme.

He also attributed the progress to the renewed emphasis on sports development under the National Sports Commission (NSC), particularly in the areas of grassroots development, athlete welfare, and elite performance.

The NAqF President acknowledged the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and its Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, for their support and commitment towards creating an environment conducive to the development of Nigerian athletes and sports federations.

“The performance of our swimmers in Dakar is a thing of great pride for Nigeria. Winning 35 medals, including 17 gold medals, is a significant achievement and one that shows the commitment and hard work of our athletes, coaches, and the entire technical crew,” Fatodu said.

He added that the result was evidence that the strategic direction of the National Sports Commission was beginning to have a positive impact across different sporting disciplines.

Fatodu said the performances of the junior swimmers were particularly encouraging, describing their emergence as an important development for Nigeria’s future in aquatics.

With the 2026 Youth Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Dakar from October 30 to November 13, he said the Zone 2 Championships had provided the federation with an important opportunity to assess its young athletes and identify areas requiring further improvement.

According to him, the experience gained in Dakar would be valuable as Nigeria intensifies preparations for the Youth Olympic Games and other major international competitions.

He assured that NAqF would build on the momentum by strengthening its development programmes, improving athlete preparation, and creating more opportunities for Nigerian swimmers to compete internationally.

“The objective is to ensure that this performance is not an isolated success but part of a sustained pathway for developing swimmers capable of competing and winning medals at the African and global levels,” Fatodu said.

The federation consequently congratulated all members of Team Nigeria for their contribution to the impressive outing, urging the swimmers, coaches, and technical officials to remain focused as preparations continue for forthcoming international assignments.

NAqF said the 35-medal performance has further strengthened its resolve to develop a sustainable pipeline of talented swimmers capable of restoring Nigeria to a prominent position in African and world aquatics.

Team Nigeria make waves with 35-medal haul at Africa Zone 2 Championships

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