9 Things To Know About Elizabeth Oshoba, Nigeria’s First-Ever Female Boxing World Champion

Elizabeth Oshoba was born on December 23, 1999, in Agbado, Lagos State, where she had her nursery and primary education before her family moved to Tigbo-Ilu in Ogun State, where she obtained her Senior Secondary School Certificate at the Ilogbo-Asowo Community High School in Ilogbo-Ota, Ogun State.

Oshoba has faced doubt at every stage, sometimes from others, sometimes from life itself. In school, she was bullied for choosing boxing, a sport most girls didn’t attempt. “The guys in school did not want to accept that a lady could be doing this,” she recalled. She even got into a fight in class that ended with her opponent bleeding. After that, the bullying stopped.

Here are 9 things to know about Nigeria's first-ever female boxing world champion:

1. In 2019, she competed at the African Games in Rabat and won bronze in her debut appearance for Nigeria.

2. Oshoba won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, overcoming a COVID-19 scare just to compete.

3. In November, she defeated Italy’s Martina Righi for the IBO female super featherweight title.

4. In January 2024, she made history in Copenhagen by stopping Italy’s Michela Braga in the tenth round to claim the WBC Silver featherweight belt, the first Nigerian female boxer to win a world title.

READ ALSO: “Bring Food First, We’ll Discuss Ransom Later”: Kidnappers Set Strange Condition for Families of Kaduna Abductees

5. She has nine professional fights, nine wins, five by knockout, known for speed, technique, and calm composure.

6. Six-time Nigerian national amateur champion; named Female Fighter of the Year at Fight Gist Media Awards 2024.

7. Elizabeth has three siblings: two sisters and one brother, Raphael, who is a pugilist. 

8. In 2026, she made history as Nigeria’s first-ever female boxing world champion.

9. Now based in the UK, she faces Chelsey Arnell on April 5 and aims for a full world title while steadily climbing the global rankings, currently fourth in the super featherweight division.

READ ALSO: Airlines Count ₦7.5bn Loss as Israel–Iran Conflict Grounds Flights from Nigeria 

These 9 things do not define the entirety of Elizabeth Oshoba. She remains undefeated, a world champion, and ranked fourth in the super featherweight division. But for Elizabeth Oshoba, it has never been just about stats or titles. Her story is one of perseverance, overcoming schoolyard bullying, early defeats, and the uncertainty of international competition. 

Every fight, every medal, and every belt has been a step in a carefully measured climb. Her focus remains steady, her ambition clear: one match at a time, she’s moving deliberately toward the very top, determined to make history for herself and for Nigerian boxing.