Nigeria sends biggest archery team ever to African Championships in Algeria

Team Nigeria has set off for the 15th African Archery Championships in Oran, Algeria. This year, the country is sending its largest team ever to compete for honors from 21 to 26 July.

The 18-member team was put together by the Nigeria Archery Federation (NAFED). They will compete in six categories: Compound Men, Compound Women, Recurve Men, Recurve Women, Barebow Men, and Barebow Women, under World Archery Africa (WAAf).

NAFED described this squad as its most balanced team to date. This shows how fast archery is growing in Nigeria and how competitive the country is becoming on the continental level.

Team Nigeria members

Compound Men: Aliyu Abubakar, Ogheneovo Odjuwuederhie, Seun Emmanuel Oyeleke, Damilola Bartholomew Sholademi.
Compound Women: Kachollom Larai Enyenihi, Haareke Evans.
Recurve Men: Tobi Bello, Tosin Junaid, Francis Okechukwu Okwu.
Recurve Women: Dara Dorcas Banjo.
Barebow Men: Abdul Rahman Obasa, Abdulbasit Sanni, Arulogun Segun Joseph, Abubakar Usman.
Barebow Women: Faith Adekogbe, Aminat Adeyemi, Mandu Eteidung, Precious Fanny-Amun.

The delegation is led by NAFED President Mohammed Baba Abdullahi and Vice-President Augustine Obiefuna Chigbolu. Aliyu Garga will coach the team.

Goals for medals

Nigeria goes to Oran with high hopes after recent strong performances. The country’s archers won medals at the African Championships in Pretoria (2022) and Nabeul, Tunisia (2023). They also took gold at the 2025 African Championships and Africa’s first Run Archery Tournament in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Beyond medals, these championships provide important world ranking points. The athletes aim to help Nigeria become one of Africa’s top archery nations.

“Every arrow our athletes shoot towards the target in Oran carries the hopes of a nation and the future of a sport that is growing faster in Nigeria than anywhere else on the continent,” said Emmanuel Oyeleke, Director of Marketing at NAFED.

“These athletes have trained hard and made sacrifices. What they need now is support from corporate Nigeria, partners who want to be part of this success story from the start.”

Sponsorship needed

NAFED mentioned that taking part in a continental championship comes with high costs. These include travel, accommodation, entry fees, equipment shipping, athlete care, and international licensing.

The federation is calling on businesses, brands, and individuals to support the national team through sponsorships. This includes team branding, athlete adoption, equipment supply, travel support, and media partnerships.

According to the federation, sponsors will connect with an Olympic sport that is expanding its grassroots and elite programs across Nigeria.

The championship will kick off with official practice and equipment checks on 21 July. This will be followed by qualification rounds on 22 July, individual elimination rounds on 23 July, and team events on 24 July. The finals and medal ceremonies are set for 25 and 26 July.