The quartet of Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Jecinter Lawrence and Patience Okon-George successfully defended Nigeria’s title in the event, powering to victory in 3:29.25, finishing comfortably ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya.
From the opening stages, the Nigerian team controlled the race with authority and eventually crossed the line nearly 30 metres clear of their closest rivals, sealing the country’s fourth gold medal of the championships.
That final triumph confirmed Nigeria’s overall haul of four gold, five silver and three bronze medals, placing the team fourth on the medal table, behind Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia.
Kenya topped the standings with six gold, four silver and seven bronze medals (17 total), while South Africa also secured six gold medals alongside two silver and six bronze. Ethiopia followed in third with five gold, four silver and six bronze medals.
Chukwuma shines with three medals as Nigeria’s sprint strength stands out
Nigeria’s only other medal on the final day came through Rosemary Chukwuma, who claimed silver in the women’s 200m, finishing in 23.60s behind Côte d’Ivoire’s Maboundou Kone, who won gold in 23.36s.
Despite narrowly missing out on gold, Chukwuma ended the competition as one of Nigeria’s standout athletes, finishing with an impressive three-medal haul. Earlier in the championships, she won gold in the 4x100m relay and secured silver in the 100m, underlining her consistency across sprint events.
Amusan leads gold rush as Nigeria delivers strong relay and hurdles performances
Nigeria’s medal success was anchored by star hurdler Tobi Amusan, who secured gold in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.83s, reaffirming her dominance on the continent.
The country also excelled in relay events, including a standout performance in the mixed 4x400m relay, where the team of Ezekiel Asuquo, Toheebat Jimoh, Victor Sampson and Patience Okon-George stormed to gold in 3:16.44.
The women’s 4x100m relay quartet—Rosemary Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka, Rosemary Chukwuma and Miracle Ezechukwu—added another gold in 42.94s, highlighting Nigeria’s continued strength in sprint relays.
Medals across field and track underline balanced team effort
Nigeria also secured multiple podium finishes outside the track events. Oyesade Olatoye earned silver in the women’s hammer throw with a distance of 69.60m, while Divine Oladipo also claimed silver in the discus throw.
On the track, the men’s 4x100m relay team finished second in 38.70s, adding another silver to the tally.
Bronze medals came through Adaobi Tabugbo in the women’s 100m hurdles (13.26s), Chidera Ezeakor in the men’s 100m (10.318s), and Obiageri Amaechi, who contributed a podium finish earlier in the championships.
Strong finish, but fourth place overall
Despite the strong finish and multiple relay triumphs, Nigeria’s fourth-place finish overall reflects the fierce competition at the continental level, with Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia maintaining the top positions.
Still, the campaign ended on a high note, with the final relay gold reinforcing Nigeria’s reputation as one of Africa’s most consistent sprinting nations.