From the legendary names of the past to the emerging generation of today, Nigerian athletes have come close, challenged the best and created unforgettable moments on the track. But when the final gun sounds in the men’s blue-ribbon sprint, Nigeria has never had a champion.
Now, as the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow approaches, there is renewed belief that the long wait could finally come to an end.
The Commonwealth Games have been a fixture of global sport for 96 years, beginning in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930 before travelling through iconic host cities including London, Sydney, Auckland, Cardiff, Kingston, Edinburgh, Kuala Lumpur, Manchester, Brisbane, Victoria, Delhi and Birmingham.
Yet through all those editions, the men’s 100m title has remained one of Nigeria’s biggest unfinished stories.
Nigeria’s women, however, have written a completely different chapter. They have carried the nation’s flag with distinction and proved that Nigerian speed belongs among the world’s best.
Mary Onyali delivered a historic moment at Victoria 1994, winning gold in the women’s 100m. Two decades later, Blessing Okagbare dominated the event at Glasgow 2014, winning gold and setting a Commonwealth Games record of 10.85 seconds on the same track that will host the 2026 edition.
At Birmingham 2022, Tobi Amusan continued the tradition by winning the women’s 100m hurdles gold medal and setting a Games record of 12.30 seconds.
The Nigerian women answered the call. They showed that the green and white could rise above the Commonwealth stage.
Even in para athletics, Nigeria has already tasted Commonwealth sprint glory. Adekunle Adesoji won gold in the para 100m at Manchester 2002 and set a Commonwealth record of 10.76 seconds, proving that Nigerian athletes possess the speed and talent to dominate.
But the men’s 100m remains the missing piece.
Nigeria’s sprint history has never been empty. The country first announced itself as a force in international sprinting through the relay events.
At Christchurch 1974, Benedict Majekodunmi, James Olakunle, Kola Abdulai and Timon Oyebami won bronze in the men’s 4x100m relay, clocking 39.70 seconds — Nigeria’s first men’s sprint medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Eight years later in Brisbane 1982, Lawrence Adegbehingbe, Iziaq Adeyanju, Ikpoto Eseme and Samson Oyeledun went a step further, winning gold in the 4x100m relay in 39.15 seconds.
That victory sent a powerful message: Nigeria had the athletes, the speed and the ability to compete with the best.
But translating that success into the individual 100m event proved difficult.
The closest Nigeria came during the golden generation of the 1990s was at Auckland 1990. It was a historic moment as Nigeria placed three athletes in the same Commonwealth Games 100m final — Davidson Ezinwa, Osmond Ezinwa and Abdullahi Tetengi.
The country believed the breakthrough had finally arrived.
But at Mount Smart Stadium, the dream slipped away. Davidson Ezinwa finished fourth in 10.26 seconds, Osmond placed sixth and Tetengi finished eighth. Great Britain’s Linford Christie claimed the gold medal, leaving Nigeria to wait again.
That Auckland final remains Nigeria’s strongest showing in the event. It represented both hope and heartbreak — a reminder that the country was close, but not close enough.
Twelve years later, Uchenna Emedolu won silver in 2002, while Olusoji Fasuba repeated the feat in 2006. In 2018, Enoch Adegoke reached the final but finished seventh.
Despite producing outstanding sprinters such as Davidson Ezinwa, who ran 9.94 seconds, Chidi Imoh, Seun Ogunkoya, Fasuba, who once held the African record with 9.85 seconds, and Deji Aliu, an Olympic bronze medallist, Nigeria has never stood on the top step of the Commonwealth men’s 100m podium.
Not once.
That is why Glasgow 2026 carries such significance.
Nigeria now has a new hope in Kanyinsola Ajayi, a young sprinter whose rise has transformed optimism into genuine belief.
The athlete from Oreyo, Ikorodu, is no longer the youngster who raced against school responsibilities. He is now a global competitor chasing history.
At just 21, Ajayi has already achieved what many Nigerian sprinters spent years chasing. He reached the Olympic semi-finals at Paris 2024 and has continued to establish himself among the world’s elite.
He recently broke Olusoji Fasuba’s two-decade-old Nigerian 100m record, running 9.84 seconds — a historic performance that announced him as a serious contender on the international stage.
His form has only strengthened expectations.
At the 2026 London Athletics Meet at the London Stadium, the 11th Diamond League meeting of the season, Ajayi produced another remarkable performance. He won the 100m race in 9.84 seconds, defeating Jamaica’s reigning world champion Oblique Seville, who finished in 9.87 seconds, while Britain’s Romell Glave followed with a personal best of 9.97 seconds.
That victory carried more than a fast time. It represented proof that Ajayi could defeat world-class opponents under pressure and deliver when the spotlight was brightest.
The Commonwealth Games record in the men’s 100m has stood for almost three decades. Trinidad and Tobago’s Ato Boldon set the mark of 9.88 seconds at Kuala Lumpur 1998, and no athlete has broken it across seven editions of the Games.
With Ajayi entering Glasgow in such strong form, many believe both the gold medal and the long-standing record are within reach.
“He can win it and rewrite the books,” supporters believe.
The story has a fitting connection. Glasgow, the same city where Blessing Okagbare produced her historic performance in 2014, will once again become the stage where Nigerian sprint history could be rewritten.
From the 1974 relay bronze medallists, to the 1982 gold-winning relay team, to Ezinwa, Fasuba and Aliu, the baton has been passed through generations.
Now it rests with a young man from Ikorodu who grew up watching Nigerian athletes chase greatness.
When the gun fires at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Nigeria will once again line up against the world.
But this time, the nation is not simply hoping for a medal.
For the first time in 96 years, Nigeria may have the athlete capable of crossing the finish line first — and possibly doing so with a new Commonwealth Games record.
The wait has been long.
The dream has survived.
Now, Kanyinsola Ajayi has the chance to turn nearly a century of disappointment into one unforgettable moment of Nigerian sporting history.