Youth Olympic Games: NSC Offers $3,000 Gold Medal Reward to Team Nigeria Youth Athletes

Posted : 29 October 2026

Nigeria’s young athletes heading to the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, will earn $3,000 each for gold medals, as the National Sports Commission (NSC) moves to motivate the contingent ahead of the competition.

The NSC Director-General, Bukola Olopade, announced the reward package during Team Nigeria’s send-off ceremony at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Under the incentive structure, athletes who win silver medals will receive $2,500 each, while bronze medallists will earn $2,000.

Olopade urged the athletes to seize the opportunity to establish themselves on the international stage, describing the competition as a significant milestone in their sporting careers.

He challenged them to demonstrate discipline, patriotism, and commitment while representing Nigeria at the first Olympic event to be hosted on African soil.

The NSC chief expressed confidence in the contingent, describing its members as promising talents whose performances could influence the future of Nigerian sports.

He also reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to youth development, particularly efforts to ensure that athletes combine their sporting ambitions with education.

According to Olopade, the Commission’s renewed focus on grassroots development is aimed at identifying and nurturing young talents capable of delivering success at major international competitions.

He identified the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) programme as one of the initiatives supporting this ambition, noting that some beneficiaries would gain valuable exposure through the Dakar Games.

“The Youth Olympics in Dakar is very historic, and you are making history by being part of the first Olympic Games to be held in Africa. This is why I am very confident that these Games will mark the beginning of greatness for all of you,” Olopade said.

He urged the athletes to remain focused on their individual events, adding that their selection demonstrated the confidence placed in them as Nigeria’s emerging sporting stars.

The ceremony also featured the formal handover of Team Nigeria from the NSC to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

The athletes appeared in their national green-and-white kits ahead of their scheduled departure for Senegal on Thursday.

Receiving the contingent, NOC President, Engineer Habu Gumel, assured the NSC that the athletes would receive adequate care and support throughout the competition.

Gumel also stressed the importance of clean sport, expressing confidence that the Nigerian representatives would uphold fairness, integrity, and sportsmanship.

The 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games will hold in Dakar from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, with more than 2,700 young athletes from 205 countries expected to compete for medals.

For Nigeria, the competition offers an opportunity to assess its emerging talents against international opposition while providing them with the experience needed for future senior competitions, including the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Youth Olympic Games: NSC Offers $3,000 Gold Medal Reward to Team Nigeria Youth Athletes

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