Team Nigeria are set to arrive in Botswana on Tuesday as final preparations begin for the World Athletics Relays 2026, following an extended journey from Lagos.
The delegation departed Nigeria early Monday on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, travelling through Addis Ababa before continuing to Gaborone with a stop in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The trip, which spans more than 12 hours of flight time and a lengthy layover, highlights the scale of planning behind Nigeria’s participation.
An advance group, led by Israel Inwang of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, had earlier arrived to coordinate logistics, alongside sprinters Enoch Adegoke and Ezekiel Asuquo.
The full squad includes four coaches under technical director Gabriel Okon, overseeing final build up to the competition scheduled for May 2 to 3.
Nigeria will compete in all six relay events after receiving approval from World Athletics to enter a complete programme, expanding on their initial qualification in three disciplines.
The stakes are high, with the event serving as a qualifying route for the 2027 World Championships in Beijing and the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
Nigeria’s preparations were strengthened by the return of Favour Ashe, who linked up with the squad in Lagos before departure. The 100 metres runner, who has a personal best of 9.94 seconds, had faced uncertainty over his future before rejoining the team.
He is expected to feature in the men’s 4x100m relay alongside Adegoke, James Emmanuel, Chidera Ezeakor and Tejiri Godwin, forming a strong sprint unit.
The women’s squad is led by team captain Patience Okon-George, with Nigeria fielding teams in both men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, as well as mixed events.
Chidi Okezie is due to join the team from South Africa, while Blessing Ogundiran and Rosemary Chukwuma will link up from the United States.
With athletes from around 40 countries expected to compete, Nigeria will be targeting strong performances in Gaborone as they aim to secure qualification for upcoming global championships.
