By Ugo Kevwe
National News
Team Nigeria concluded its campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a remarkable seventh-place finish, ending the competition as the highest-ranked African nation after winning a total of 24 medals.
Nigeria secured 10 gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals, outperforming fellow African contenders South Africa and Kenya to emerge as the continent’s best-performing team at the Games.
Australia dominated the overall medals table with 171 medals, including 70 gold medals, while England finished second with 110 medals. Canada claimed third place, followed by India, Scotland and New Zealand.
Nigeria’s success was driven by several historic performances in athletics.
Samuel Ogazi made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win Commonwealth Games gold in the men’s 400 metres after clocking an impressive 44.25 seconds.
Ezekiel Nathaniel also etched his name into the record books by claiming Nigeria’s first-ever Commonwealth title in the men’s 400m hurdles.
In the field events, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi won Nigeria’s maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal in the men’s shot put, while Ruth Usoro earned a silver medal in the women’s long jump.
Udodi Onwuzurike continued Nigeria’s impressive outing on the track by winning silver in the men’s 200 metres, improving on his performance at the Birmingham 2022 Games.
Ella Onojuvwevwo ended Nigeria’s 32-year wait for a medal in the women’s 400 metres by securing bronze, while world record holder Tobi Amusan added another international medal to her collection with bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Nigeria’s relay teams also contributed significantly to the medal haul. The mixed 4x400m relay team claimed bronze in the event’s Commonwealth Games debut, while the men’s 4x100m relay team was upgraded to bronze after Canada’s disqualification following a successful appeal.
Beyond athletics, Nigerian athletes excelled in weightlifting, para-sports and judo, boosting the country’s overall medal tally and showcasing the nation’s growing strength across multiple sporting disciplines.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games featured competitors from more than 74 nations and territories participating in 215 medal events across 10 sports. Organisers reported that over 630,000 spectators attended the Games, supported by more than 4,000 volunteers, while the event generated hundreds of millions of views across social media platforms.
