World Athletics has blocked the application of Favour Ofili to switch Nationality from Nigeria to Turkey.
The rejection follows the World Athletics’ disapproval of the Türkiye Athletics Federation (TAF)’s application to secure Favour Ofili’s allegiance.
The decision, announced on April 16, 2026 by the Nationality Review Panel confirms that Ofili will not be eligible to represent Türkiye at the upcoming international competitions.
According to the Panel, the transfer represents a wider part of Türkiye’s recruitment strategy to attract overseas talent with lucrative contracts.
“The eleven applications form part of a recruitment strategy led by the Türkiye government to recruit overseas talent by offering lucrative club‑level contracts to induce transfers of allegiance and ensure the athletes become eligible to represent Turkey at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” the decision stated.
Notably, the action comes a few months after Ofili announced her decision to stop representing Nigeria in international competitions. She explained that her decision follows years of negligence by Nigerian authorities towards her career.
She stated that;
“Negligence towards me in the Olympics (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision.. While that means sitting out this year’s championship in Tokyo, this change comes from the heart, not from financial motives. I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in turkey.”
