Olympic sprinter Favour Ofili has confirmed her allegiance switch from Nigeria to Turkey, a move seen as a major setback for Nigerian athletics.

The 21-year-old, regarded as one of the brightest sprint prospects of her generation, made the announcement at the close of her 2025 season.

“Wrapping up my 2025 season has been a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions.

“As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Turkey,” Ofili wrote.

Ofili holds Nigeria’s 200m national record with a lifetime best of 21.96s, making her the only Nigerian woman to run under 22 seconds in the event.

In Nigerian colours, she competed on the biggest stages, including the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires (2019), World Championships in Doha (2019) and Budapest (2023).

Others include the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

She also featured at multiple African Championships, proving her reputation as one of the country’s most consistent performers.

Her switch comes after complaints about athlete welfare and support systems in Nigerian sports.