President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Tonobok Okowa, has declared that the federation is ready to welcome Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili back into its fold following the decisionq by World Athletics to deny her request to switch allegiance to Turkey.
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The ruling, which also affected several other athletes, has been widely viewed as a major stance against the growing trend of countries recruiting talents developed elsewhere.
Reacting to the development, Okowa described the decision as a “big win” not just for Nigeria, but for all nations affected by what he termed unfair athlete poaching.
“This is a victory,” he said.
According to him, the federation holds no grudges against Ofili and remains open to continuing its relationship with her.
“We have nothing against her,” he stressed.
Okowa emphasized that Ofili remains a valuable athlete and that the AFN is committed to supporting her career moving forward.
“We want to keep working with her,” he added.
The AFN president also used the opportunity to highlight broader concerns about the integrity of international athletics, particularly when wealthier nations attempt to recruit athletes nurtured by developing countries.
“It’s not fair,” he implied.
For Nigeria, the decision represents a chance to retain one of its brightest talents while reinforcing the importance of protecting investments in athlete development.
As the situation unfolds, attention will now turn to how Ofili responds and whether she will fully reintegrate into the Nigerian athletics system.
For Okowa, however, the message is clear.
The door is open.
And the federation is ready.
Because in sport, talent must be nurtured — not taken.
