Nojim Maiyegun (Tokyo 1964)
He was born on the 17th of February, 1941, in Lagos, and he would go on to become the first medalist for the country at the Olympics after he won bronze in the Men’s Light Middleweight (71kg) category at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games in Japan.
Won a bronze at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, among several other laurels he won serving in his fatherland, after with he relocated to Austria in 1971 to continue his professional boxing profession. His professional career would be ever so brief from 1971 thru 1973 with only 16 fights, winning 12 including 10 knockouts, but on the other side, four defeats. He reported having lost his sight in 2012.
Isaac Ikhouria (Munich 1972)
Still in boxing, the second Olympic medal came in for Nigeria courtesy of Ikhouria, who won a bronze medal for the country in Munich in 1972 in the light-heavyweight category. Born on October 9, 1947, a year after his medal feat in Munich, he won a gold medal at the 1973 Africa Games in Lagos.
Peter Konyegwachie (Los Angeles 1984)
It took 20 years before Nigeria could upgrade from a bronze medal to a silver medal at the Olympic Games, and that was won by Konyegwachie during the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, which he claimed in the men’s featherweight category. Two years later in 1986, Konyegwachie became professional and won his first 15 fights before getting stopped by a journeyman in 1990. He retired after the bout at 15-1-0. He also won a gold medal during the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia.
Duncan Dokiwari (Atlanta 1996)
Its boxing success at the Olympics appeared to have continued in 1996, when Dokiwari claimed men’s super heavyweight bronze—shared with Russian Aleksei Lezin. In one of the most infamous bouts in Nigeria’s Olympic history, but which turned out to be the nation’s last medal in the event. He turned professional in 1997 and later had 28 fights, winning 25, including 22 knockouts, and losing three.
Chioma Ajunwa (Atlanta 1996)
Twelve years after the first silver of Nigeria, it was Ajunwa who won the first gold medal for the country and that of any female black African in history, respectively, hallowed in the Olympic Games and in field events. She landed a huge first attempt of 7.12 m, not improved upon by the other athletes over six attempts, and won ahead of Italy’s Fiona May and the USA’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She had in the process set three records; national, African and championship record. Ajuwa represented the Super Falcons during the inaugural edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 before finding her feet in athletics.
Enefiok Udo-Obong, 4x400m men (Sydney 2000) and 4×400 men (Athens 2004)
Udo-Obong is also the only Nigerian male athlete to have worn two Olympic medals, both gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and bronze in 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2000, he ran the anchor leg and took Nigeria from fourth to second in the quartet which also had Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, and Sunday Bada. They finished second behind the USA, but Nigeria were second in line to a gold that was elevated a dozen years later after the International Olympic Committee stripped the USA of the gold – following an admission by the late Antonio Pettigrew that he took performance-enhancing drugs at the time of the games. He repeated the feat at the Athens Games in 2004, anchoring the relay with James Godday, Musa Audu, and Saul Weigopwa to bronze for Nigeria. Udo-Obong is now the technical director of the Lagos State Athletics Association, and he has written, spoken, done business, and administered. He has also to date authored three books around his experience on the track.
Falilat Ogunkoya (Atlanta 1996)
In 1996, at the Atlanta Games, Ogunkoya won bronze in the women’s 400m and silver in the women’s 4x400m relay. She had become the first Nigerian to win an individual track and field medal at the Olympic Games. Though she came out third, with Marie-José Pérec from France taking first place and Australia’s Cathy Freeman taking the second position, her time of 49.10s was both a personal best and African record up until that time. She had triumphed four times each in 200m and 400m in the African championships. She was part of the 4x100m relay team that won the bronze medal with Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, and Faith Idehen at the 1992 Olympic Games. She also won a bronze in the women’s 200m at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She remains the first Nigerian to have appeared at five Olympics between 1988 and 2004. She also won the 1994 Commonwealth Games 100m title.
Glory Alozie Sydney-2000
Now a Spanish citizen, Alozie picked up the women’s 100m hurdles silver for Nigeria with a time of 12.68s at the Sydney 2000 Games. This she has coupled with victories in the African Championship on two occasions. She later moved to Spain and proceeded to win the European Championship in 2002 .
Ruth Ogbeifo Sydney-2000
Ogbeifo won Nigeria’s first-ever weightlifting medal in 2000 while competing in the 75kg. She claimed a silver medal, with 245.0kg in total.
Utondu, Opara-Thompson, Onyali and Idehen (Barcelona 1992)
The first success for Nigeria’s women’s relay team was recorded by the quartet Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, Mary Onyali and Faith Idehen during the Barcelona 1992 Games where they won bronze in the women’s 4x100m relay.
Afolabi, Yusuf, Opara, and Ogunkoya (Atlanta 1996)
A dozen years after the men had won a medal in the 4x400m relay, Nigeria’s female quartet of Olabisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara, and Falilat Ogunkoya rose to the occasion with a time of 3:21.04 in Atlanta and collected silver behind the USA (3:20.91) with Germany third (3:21.14).
Izonritei, Igbineghu (Barcelona 1992)
Before Nigeria could claim many other first medals in other events, there were more boxing medals for Nigeria at the Barcelona 1992 Games courtesy of David Izonritei and Richard Igbineghu who both won silver in the men’s heavyweight and men’s super heavyweight respectively.
Uti, Ugbise, Peters, Egbunike (Los Angeles 1984)
The first relay medal was won in 1984, at the Los Angeles Games, when it was anchored by legendary 400m runner Innocent Egbunike. In an field that also included Sunday Uti, Moses Ugbisie and Rotimi Peters, the Nigerian team finished with a bronze in the men’s 4x400m final.
Adeniken, Ezinwa, Imoh, Kayode and Ezinwa (Barcelona 1992)
Among the best 4x100m relay race that Nigeria has ever ran, Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Chidi Imoh, Oluyemi Kayode, and Osmond Ezinwa only finished as runner-up to the USA for silver during the Barcelona 1992 Games. They ran in lane five and kept up arguments with smooth baton exchange and pace to pip Great Britain and Cuba to the line.
Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna Emedolu, Aaron Egbele, and Deji Aliu, [Athens 2004]
Nigeria’s other big result in the men’s 4x100m was the last time after 12 years of Adeniken, Ezinwa, Imoh, Kayode and Ezinwa exploits in Barcelona in 1992, and three Olympics. And the class of Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna Emedolu, Aaron Egbele and Deji Aliu could finish third behind Great Britain and the USA.
1996 men’s football team
There is certainly more to the winning of a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games for the Nigerian male football team than just being another stride or stride in the Games than the rest. This, no doubt, is due to the kind and caliber of teams the Nigeria U-23 team defeated to win the gold medal. From two impressive victories over Hungary and Japan in the group stages, Nigeria’s route to advance to the summit clash became arduous when they confronted Brazil, who had defeated them in the group stage, in the semi-finals and impressively managed to bounce back after conceding first and then again to level the score despite falling 3-1 behind by the end of the first half. Kanu’s equalizer was an iconic one, scored in injury time, and he also scored a sublime golden goal in extra time, which put Nigeria into the final. It left the football world stunned. The final against Argentina, though no easier, was due to the goals from Celestine Babayaro and then twice by Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke, who leveled before winning the game 3-2.
2008 Men’s Football Team
Coach Samson Siasia led a team that Nigerians will never forget how Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi undid it in the men’s football final in Beijing. A team that had a very good run since the group stages through to the knockouts, famously edging Belgium 3-0 in the semis but eventually settling for silver after losing a 1-0 result in the final.
2016 men’s football team
From being stranded in Atlanta, having gotten to Manaus barely 10 hours before kickoff on the opening day, Siasia and his 2016 men’s football team weathered the storm to winning the so-called ‘golden’ bronze medal at the Rio Olympics. They defeated Honduras 3-2 in the third-place match and take home a historic set of medals for Nigeria in the event having won gold in 1996 and silver in 2008.
Idoko, Kemasuode, Ismaila, Osayomi, Osazuwa (Beijing 2008)
The quartet of Franca Idoko, Gloria Kemasuode, Halimat Ismaila, Oludamola Osayomi and Agnes Osazuwa secured Nigeria’s last relay medal in the Games at the 2008 Games, winning silver. Since then, no male and female team have been able to win any relay medal.
Blessing Okagbare (Beijing 2008)
Although famous for the 100m and 200m, the long jump was incidentally the only Olympic medal Okagbare won for Nigeria–silver. Okagbare was also suspended Pending further investigations after failing a drug test on July 31, 2021, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and she is currently serving a 10-year ban “for breaching multiple World Athletics anti-doping rules”. Her ban expires on July 30, 2032.
Chika Chukwumerije (Beijing 2008)
Of the 27 medals that have been won by Nigeria at the Olympics, the first for taekwondo came in 2008 when Chukwumerije won bronze after a 3 -2 defeat of Akmal Irgashev of Uzbekistan. He first drew attention in 2003 during the qualifiers for the 2003 Africa Games, where he eventually won a bronze medal in the heavyweight male category. He competed at the 2004 Athens Olympic Summer Games but lost his first fight to Pascal Gentil, who eventually won the bronze medal. He also did not pass the round of 32 in 2012.
Mariam Usman (Beijing 2008)
Four-time African champion Usman clinched Nigeria’s second weightlifting medal by winning the bronze in the +75 at the 2008 Games.
Blessing Oborududu (Tokyo 2020)
Returning to the Olympics in Paris, the 14-time African champion Oborududu, who will be the first wrestler to present an Olympic medal having won silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games held in 2021.
Ese Brume (Tokyo 2020)
Known for not missing an event she represented Nigeria and not coming home with a medal, Brume will make a return to the Olympics in Paris, eyeing an addition or upgrade to the bronze won in 2020. She collected bronze in Tokyo with a jump of 6.97m. Currently, she holds the Commonwealth Games record, African junior record, and the African record in that very event.