Who is the most decorated Nigerian female athlete in history?

Nigeria is in the top three countries of best talents in African Athletics. While Kenya is known to dominate in the middle and long-distance events, South Africa the field events, Nigeria is known for its supremacy in the sprints and jumps.

The African Records (AR) indoors and outdoors are owned by athletes in these countries, and for Nigeria, the female athletes are shining lights in this regard.

This year strengthened the genders' claim to this statement, with the icing on the cake being Tobi Amusan’s historic World Record (WR) and title-winning performance at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Before her achievement, the country has produced other female athletes who have won medals at all age group levels, as well as at the Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Continental Championships, setting records in the process.

This brings the question, can anyone truly pinpoint the most decorated Nigerian female athlete in history? What should be the criteria for selection? Should it be a WR, Olympic medals and appearances, World Championship medals, medals collection at youth to professional level, career dominance, or a combination of everything?

Definitely a hard one to call that requires lots to debate on. Notwithstanding, I have carefully selected five athletes who should have the best shot at this prestigious accolade; based on their career honours and impact on the sport generally.

Regarded as the mother of Nigerian female sprints, Mary Onyali competed in the 100m, 200m, and relay events, winning many medals during her career.

The multiple Nigerian Champion and former record holder brought international recognition to the country during her active years. Her iconic feats were anchoring Nigeria to 4x100m Bronze at the 1992 Olympic Games and winning 200m Bronze at the 1996 Olympic Games.

She is a five time Olympian (1988 - 2004), remaining the only Nigerian athlete to achieve such a feat. While continentally, she performed exceptionally well in the African Games, winning seven individual medals, and the relay team won all races between 1987 to 2003.

Here is a concise list of her career honours supporting why she has earned a spot on the mentions.

Career honours

Personal Bests

100m - 10.97s (1993)

200m - 22.07s (1996)

4x100m - 42.81s (1992)

Demerits - Never won a senior World Championship medal.

A national hero, Chioma Ajunwa is widely recognized for her exploits at the 1996 Olympic Games, where she won the Long Jump Gold medal with a first-round leap of 7.12m.

Her victory sealed her name as the first African woman to win an Olympic title in a field event and still the country's sole individual Olympic champion.

The footballer-turned-athlete competed in the 60m, 100m, 200m, and Long Jump winning medals, and is history's only sportswoman to compete at the FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic Games.

Ajunwa is presently an assistant commissioner of police.

Career honours

Personal Bests

Outdoor Long Jump - 7.12m

Indoor Long Jump - 6.97m

60m - 7.02s

100m - 11.14s

200m - 23.05s

Demerits - Did not win an outdoor World Championships medal.

Formerly known as the queen of Nigerian track, Blessing Okagbare was the ray of sunshine that reignited the athletics spark in this generation of Nigerian athletes. She was the face of the sport globally for over a decade, consistently among the top ten best female world athletes.

Okagbare boasts of winning a medal at every important senior international championship, setting records, and attaining historic feats. Significant mentions in her 2008 Olympic Silver medal while a teenager and 2013 double World Championships medals, making her the first female Nigerian athlete to achieve this.

The long jump and sprints specialist owns the 100m Commonwealth Games record of 10.85s, is a former 100m and 200m AR holder with times of 10.79s and 22.04s respectively, and was a regular finalist in the 100m, 200m, and Long Jump at global and continental championships.

Career honours

Personal bests

100m - 10.79s

200m - 22.04s

60m - 7.10s

Long Jump - 7.00m

Triple Jump - 14.13m

Demerits - None. Apart from not winning an Olympic medal in the sprints and a World Indoor Championships medal.

One of the most consistent Nigerian athletes in history, Ese Brume has grown in stature since she announced herself as a prodigious young talent at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she landed her first major long jump title.

Since her stellar international athletics debut eight years ago, Brume has made regular appearances on the podium at every major championship. Her last at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she reclaimed her Gold medal won in 2014, setting a new Games Record (GR) of 7.00m in the process.

Her performances over the last three years saw her move out of the shadows of legendary Nigerian jumpers to claim the mantle as Africa's undisputed long-jump queen.

Since 2019, she has hit a rich vein of form as she has jumped an AR of 7.17m, Olympic Bronze, and World Championships Bronze and Silver medals in 2019 and 2022 respectively, as well as World Indoor Championship Silver in 2022.

Career honours

Personal Bests

Indoors - 6.85m

Outdoors - 7.17m

Demerits - None

A generational talent, Tobi Amusan is the reigning World, Commonwealth, Diamond League, and African Champion and the record holder in three of the four competitions. The sprint hurdler is not just the best in the continent and the world but all-time.

Her moment of historic glory came when she stunned the world with two blistering runs at the World Championships in Eugene, where she broke the 100mH World Record in the semi-finals clocking 12.12s. In the final two hours later, she burst out of the blocks for the Gold medal in an even faster time of 12.06s. Although, that did not count as an official record due to the illegal wind reading.

Amusan is the first Nigerian athlete ever to attain these honours, from running a WR to winning a World, Commonwealth, African, and Diamond League title, all in record-breaking times.

So it came as no surprise when the World Athletics governing council nominated her as the female athlete of the year. Again, the first Nigerian athlete to get this recognition.

Career honours

Personal Bests

100mH - 12.12s

60mH - 7.84s

100m - 11.14s

200m - 22.66s

Demerits - No Olympic medal or World Indoor Championships medal yet.