French-Nigerian prodigy, Jared Ejiasian, at the weekend, smashed the U-18 world record in the men’s 60m hurdles, clocking 7.43 seconds at the French U-18 and U-20 championships in Val-de-Reuil.

The 16-year-old’s blistering run eclipsed Sasha Zhoya’s 2019 mark by five hundredths of a second, underlining his rapid rise in global athletics.

Ejiasian, who represents AC Nord Val d’Oise, had already set an African U-18 record in January with a 7.57s performance at the Tempo Run League.

Born in Nigeria but raised in France, he is currently competing under Nigeria’s flag, though reports suggest he is pursuing French naturalisation. He is registered as a Nigerian on his World Athletics profile page.

His record-breaking run adds to a growing list of Nigerian-born athletes excelling internationally, often choosing to represent other nations due to administrative shortcomings at home.

The trend, according to SportsNow.com.ng, is evident across Europe. Annabel Fasuba, daughter of former African 100m record holder Olusoji Fasuba, stormed to the England U-17 60m title in Sheffield with a 7.36s run, the third-fastest U-18 time globally this year and she is not yet 15.

Divine Iheme, son of another ex-Nigerian international, won England’s U-18 boys’ 60m in 6.68s, ranking him second worldwide in 2026.

Sunday Akitan from Sagamu, Ogun State, has switched allegiance to Qatar, posting a sensational 6.46s, equaling Nigeria’s national record and standing as the second-fastest 60m time globally this year.

Ejiasian’s breakthrough, alongside Fasuba, Iheme, and Akitan, highlights both the depth of Nigerian sprinting talent and the persistent issue of athletes opting to compete for other nations.

It is a reminder of the untapped potential within Nigeria’s athletics pipeline, and the urgent need for stronger structures to nurture and retain stars.