The National Sports Commission (NSC) has assured stakeholders that it is working round the clock to ensure that the nation’s top stars are available to compete at the fast approaching 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

There are disturbing reports that several of Nigeria’s top athletes risk being unavailable for the Commonwealth Games due to restrictive United States’ immigration policies.

A large number of Nigeria’s elite track and field athletes are currently based in the United States, where they train and compete in different meets.

According to reports, the recent immigration measures have created fears among visa holders that leaving the country, even temporarily, could jeopardise their ability to return.

As a result, athletes without U.S. passports are reportedly reluctant to travel for international competitions, including the Commonwealth Games scheduled to hold in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 3, 2026.

However, the Head of NSC’s Elite Athletes and Podium Board, Yusuf Ali, told The Guardian, yesterday, that there is no reason to entertain fear on the possibility of having all top Nigerian athletes for the Games.

Ali, who spoke from Glasgow, Scotland, where he is attending a Chef de Mission Conference, said that the NSC is on top of the situation.

“There is no need to worry about such report about our top athletes being trapped in the United States,” he said. “The NSC is on top of it, and there is no need to be worried. We are exploring solutions to ensure that our athletes can travel for the Commonwealth Games and other international competitions and return to the United States without complications,” he said.

Ali’s assurance notwithstanding, some stakeholders are worried, especially after what happened at the World Indoor Championships held in Poland at the weekend, where Nigeria was represented by only one athlete, shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, who holds a U.S. passport.

Other Nigerian athletes requiring U.S. visas allegedly opted out of the competition to avoid the risk of being denied re-entry into the United States.

Some of Nigeria’s leading track stars, including Tobi Amusan, Kanyinsola Ajayi, Samuel Ogazi, and others, rely on U.S.-issued visas to remain in the country.