The 2026 Commonwealth Games promises to be Nigeria’s best since the country debuted in the Games in 1950, in Auckland, New Zealand, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Performance Director, Victor Okorie, has said.

Okorie, who has been working with some of the country’s elite athletes in the United States ahead of the Games, expressed confidence that Team Nigeria is on course to deliver its best-ever performance at the 23rd edition in Glasgow, Scotland, crediting the National Sports Commission (NSC) for providing a world-class environment for the nation’s preparations.

The former Nigerian champion and 2003 African Games silver medallist in the 400m hurdles said Team Nigeria’s training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland, has created the ideal conditions for athletes to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the Games, which begin in a fortnight.

He said that access to a world-class high-performance training centre is one of the most critical ingredients for success at any major international championship. Such facilities provide athletes with state-of-the-art equipment, world-class sports science and medical support, recovery and rehabilitation services, nutrition, performance analysis, and training environments that closely replicate competition conditions.

“These advantages enable athletes to maximise their physical and mental readiness while minimising the risk of injuries before competition,” he said, stressing the importance of arriving in the host country well ahead of the competition.

He noted that spending approximately three weeks in Scotland before the opening ceremony allows athletes sufficient time to acclimatise to the weather, adjust to the time zone, familiarise themselves with local conditions, recover from travel fatigue, and settle psychologically into their competitive environment.

“With the NSC led by Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, I strongly believe Nigeria will achieve her best-ever performance and results at the 23rd edition in Glasgow,” said Okorie, who remains the fifth-fastest Nigerian of all time in the 400m hurdles and one of only 14 Nigerians to have broken the 50-second barrier in the event.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s Commonwealth Games history, Okorie recalled that the country’s highest overall medal haul came at the 1994 Games in Victoria, Canada, where Team Nigeria won 37 medals comprising 11 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze. He added that Nigeria’s highest gold medal tally was achieved at the most recent edition, with 12 gold medals and 35 medals overall.

“The last time we competed in Glasgow, we returned home with 36 medals made up of 11 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals. This time, we are poised to cross into the 40s in total medals and into the 20s in gold medals. I believe we will set a new benchmark for Nigerian sports at these Games,” he said.

Okorie commended the NSC leadership, describing its Chairman, Dikko, and Director General, Olopade, as visionary administrators whose private sector experience is already transforming the nation’s sporting landscape.

“Our sports are in very safe hands. The passion, commitment and dedication that Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade have demonstrated, combined with the wealth of experience they have brought from the private sector, have already begun to positively impact Nigerian sports,” he said.

He expressed confidence that sustained reforms under the current leadership would position sports as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy.

“If they are given at least five years to implement their vision, sports will become a significant contributor to Nigeria’s GDP and a major source of employment, just as it is in many developed sporting nations around the world.”