It’s becoming clearer that Nigeria’s talent drain affects more than tech, health, and other corporate professionals. With the latest switch from Favour Ashe and Favour Ofili, the list of Nigerian athletes switching allegiance to other countries gets longer.
Interestingly, these athletes have been vocal about the reasons for their individual switch. For some, it’s neglect, while others blame inadequate tools, poor planning, and several other reasons.
Here’s a list of Nigerian athletes who have switched allegiance and their reasons. 
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1. Favour Ashe – Switched to Qatar
9.79s sprinter Favour Ashe is the latest on the list of Nigerian athletes switching allegiance. He confirmed his move to Qatar in February 2026 after what he described as humiliation and poor welfare.
His tipping point came at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, where he felt disrespected and was denied participation in the 100m final.
“It was like I was just begging to be part of Nigerian athletics. That is wrong,” Ashe said in a recent interview. “You don’t treat people that way and expect the best from them.”
He also cited poor facilities: “The track was not up to standard… I just have to move.” Now training under Qatar’s structured programme, he revealed: “The Qatar federation is taking us to South Africa to begin our season there. This is something Nigeria has never done.” He warned that more departures are coming:
“Soon Nigeria would be hit by an exodus of athletes.”
2. Favour Ofili – Switched to Turkey
After years of frustration, Olympic finalist Favour Ofili confirmed in 2025 that she would now represent Turkey.
Her frustrations peaked after repeated administrative failures by Nigerian officials. She missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to anti-doping compliance lapses and was again denied participation in the 100m at Paris 2024 after her name was not submitted.
Explaining her decision in a thread of tweets, Ofili wrote:
“I am proud to have represented Nigeria for many years… while experiencing the biggest disappointment from AFN and NOC towards me. Negligence towards me in the Olympics (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision.”
She insisted the move was not financially motivated: “This change comes from the heart, not from financial motives.”
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist will now sit out one championship year due to transfer rules but believes she has found “a new home” in Turkey.
3. Francis Obikwelu – Switched to Portugal
Once Nigeria’s sprint jewel, Francis Obikwelu left after the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) allegedly dismissed his knee injury following Sydney 2000.
According to him: “They told me they didn’t need me, that they could produce another Obikwelu.” He had to for surgery himself and received no institutional support.
In 2004, wearing Portugal’s colours, he won Olympic silver in 9.86 seconds. That European record stood for nearly 17 years.
Reflecting on his move, he said: “I had to go to Portugal… Nigeria still remains my country.” His success remains one of the clearest examples of talent flourishing elsewhere.
4. Annette Echikunwoke – Switched to the USA
Hammer thrower Annette Echikunwoke initially chose Nigeria. But she got disqualified from Tokyo 2020 due to AFN’s failure to meet drug-testing requirements.
Despite submitting her whereabouts multiple times, no officials conducted the required tests. She returned to represent the United States and made history by winning Olympic silver in Paris 2024. This achievement made her the first American woman to medal in the event.
5. Femi Ogunode – Switched to Qatar
After being omitted from major Nigerian squads despite qualifying, Femi Ogunode moved to Qatar in 2009. He later became the Asian record holder (9.91s) and a multiple Asian Games champion.
In an interview with Premium Times, Femi disclosed the challenges he faced:
“I was supposed to represent Nigeria at the Beijing 2008 Olympics; however, due to some manoeuvres that I could not understand, I was dropped from the team. Prior to that, I had qualified to represent Nigeria at the All-African Games in Algiers. But some politicking ensured that I was dropped from the team despite making the trials. These acts were discouraging … One day, I got a mail from Qatar asking if I was interested in coming to their country… The rest, as they say, is history.”
It appears as though he’s thriving within a structured system.
6. Florence Ekpo-Umoh – Switched to Germany
Former Nigerian junior star Florence Ekpo-Umoh defected in 1995. She was blunt in her response, explaining that: “I switched allegiance to Germany because I had this feeling that if I stayed one more year in Nigeria, my career would end.”
She went on to win European Championship gold and World Championship silver.
7. Daniel Igali – Switched to Canada
Wrestler Daniel Igali sought refugee status in Canada in the 1990s and later won Olympic gold in Sydney 2000. His win was Canada’s first in men’s wrestling.
Though he later served Nigerian wrestling in an administrative capacity, his competitive glory came under a different flag.
The Bigger Picture
From Obikwelu to Ofili and Ashe, the pattern is striking and similar. A 2018 research work on ‘TALENT DRAIN-The Menace of Nigerian Athletes Switching Allegiance’ agrees that there have been repeated cases of administrative lapses, poor infrastructure, athlete neglect and lack of accountability. Talent has never been the problem. The failing system has. As Favour Ashe warned, if reforms don’t happen, Nigeria may continue discovering stars only to watch them win for someone else.
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