The Head of Elite Athletes and Podium Board in the National Sports Commission (NSC), Olympian Yusuf Ali, has said Team Nigeria’s performance at the recently concluded 24th African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, is not as bad as some Nigerians see it.

Nigeria finished fourth with nine medals at the championships, including one individual gold by Tobi Amusan, and three gold medals in the relays.

Ali told The Guardian on Friday that there were lots of ‘positives’ for Team Nigeria at Accra 2026, adding: “I witnessed all that happened in Accra, and I feel the performance was not as bad as some Nigerians is presenting it.

“Though, some of our athletes like Rosemary Chukwuma had the chance of increasing our gold medals, which she lost in the 100m final, but overall, I feel the results in Accra has given us a clue on what to do to get enough medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. That is our ultimate goal and I am optimistic things will take a different shape in Glasgow.”

Giving an insight into what transpired in Accra, Ali, who competed in three Olympics Games, said: “In sports, one major issue that can work against country’s progress at international competitions is indiscipline by athletes. We had one of such issues in Accra, and we quickly dealt with it. One of our athletes, Treasure Okereke, a 400m runner, was sent home for refusing to compete in Accra. The athlete told us she had malaria fever, and would not compete. I asked our medical team to examine her, but the result showed there was no traces of malaria in her body, meaning she was trying to sabotage Nigeria. She was sent back immediately.

“In the women 100m final, we expected Rosemary Chukwuma to win the title based on her current form, but she couldn’t deliver it. That lack of extra push cost us the gold medal. A Tobi Amusan or Ese Brume will always put an extra effort at that stage to deliver the gold medal. I am sure Rosemary Chukwuma learnt a lot from that performance in Accra,” he stated.

However, Ali was satisfied by the performance of some of the junior athletes who made the trip to Accra.

“I must commend the role played by our Junior Athletes. We went to Accra with 10 of them, and some actually made it to the podium, winning gold medals,” Ali said.

One member from the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) squad, who displayed her talent in Accra, was Chigozie Rosemary Nwankwo. She achieved incredible milestones within the space of one month.

Nwankwo made her first senior appearance for Nigeria at the World Relays in Botswana, running the lead (first) leg to help Team Nigeria qualify for the 2027 World Championships in China.

In Accra, she won her first gold medal for Nigeria at the senior level, once again running the lead leg brilliantly in the women’s 4x100m.

A day later, Rosemary Nwankwo, an SS2 student at Tulip International School, Abuja, ran in the 200m, clocking an impressive 23.96s to win her heat.

In 2024, Nwankwo was crowned Nigeria’s fastest girl after a breathtaking performance at the National Youth Games in Asaba.

In 2025, she became the new African secondary school champion after winning gold medal in the girls’ 100m at the African Schools Games in Algeria.

And in March 2026, Nwankwo officially qualified for the World U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA

Earlier this month, she delivered the crucial first leg in the women’s 4x100m relay that helped Nigeria qualify for the World Championships in China. She has return to school in Abuja to continue her SS2 classes.

Another IJA Athlete, Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu, proved her worth as a young star to look up to in the athletics scene.

From writing JAMB exams last month, Ezechukwu made her first 100m final at a senior championship in Accra, where she helped Nigeria to a gold medal in the relay.

Earlier this month, she delivered the crucial first leg in the 4x100m race to qualify Nigeria for the World Championships in China. She is back in Abuja for her SS2 classes.

For Yusuf Ali, the brilliant performance by the IJA athletes in Accra was a ‘beautiful example’ of how to nurture future stars from secondary school level.

“It is another strong reminder that Nigeria must take grassroots sports seriously. The NSC is investing heavily on younger athletes and we can see that the future is bright when young talents are given the right platform and support. I must commend both the chairman of NSC, Shehu Dikko and Director General, Hon Bukola Olopade for the steps taken so far in reshaping Nigeria’s sports for better,” Ali stated.