Team Nigeria stamped their authority on West African athletics after finishing top of the medal table at the second Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Region II Senior Championships, which wrapped up on Tuesday at the University of Ghana Sports Complex, Accra.
The Nigerian contingent amassed a total of 25 medals — 15 gold, eight silver, and two bronze — to secure the overall title. It marked an improvement on last year’s outing, where the team bagged 13 gold, four silver, and one bronze.
Nigeria’s athletes shone brightest in the sprints and quarter-mile events, while also adding key medals from the throws and jumps to consolidate their dominance.
Burkina Faso placed second with 21 medals (seven gold, 10 silver, and four bronze), while Benin Republic finished third after collecting 16 medals (six gold, four silver, six bronze).
Hosts Ghana, despite fielding 30 athletes, managed three gold, 11 silver, and nine bronze to settle for fourth place. Togo, Ivory Coast, and The Gambia also made the medal standings at the two-day event, which featured over 250 athletes from across West Africa.
Nigeria capped off their campaign in style on the final day, winning gold in both the men’s and women’s 200m as well as the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays.
National Sports Festival 100m champion Chidera Ezeakor stormed to a personal best of 20.77s to claim gold in the men’s 200m. Ghana’s Edwin Gadayi (21.14s) and Marizuk Shaibu (21.21s) settled for silver and bronze respectively, while Nigeria’s Audu Abdulgafar narrowly missed the podium in fourth.
In the women’s 200m final, Nigeria secured a one-two finish as Anita Enaruna clinched gold in 23.91s, with teammate Maria Thompson taking silver in 24.01s. Gambia’s Sey Isatou finished third in 24.25s.
The opening day also proved fruitful for Team Nigeria. Oloaolu Olatunde won his first senior gold in the men’s 100m with a time of 10.60s, while Chioma Nweke claimed the women’s 100m crown in 11.62s — both athletes earning their maiden senior titles.
With this commanding performance, Nigeria once again reaffirmed their status as the powerhouse of athletics in the West African region.