Favour Ofili Sets New African Standard In The 200m To Become The Continent’s Fastest Woman Ever

Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili has added another remarkable achievement to her growing career, becoming Africa’s fastest woman ever over the 200 metres. The latest feat further strengthens her reputation as one of the continent’s most accomplished track athletes and highlights a journey that has combined record-breaking performances with significant challenges away from the track.

At just 23, Ofili has already built an impressive résumé. She first gained continental attention as a teenager, winning medals at youth championships before claiming silver in the 400m and gold in the 4x400m relay at the 2019 African Games. Her rise continued in 2021 when she won bronze in the 200m at the World U-20 Championships and helped Nigeria secure relay medals on the global stage.

Her breakthrough came in 2022 when she clocked 21.96 seconds in the 200m, becoming the first Nigerian woman in history to run under 22 seconds and setting a national record. She followed that performance with a silver medal in the 200m at the Commonwealth Games, establishing herself as one of the world’s emerging sprint stars.

Since then, Ofili has continued to push boundaries. In 2025, she set a world record in the rarely contested 150m event, running 15.85 seconds and becoming the first woman ever to break the 16-second barrier over the distance. She also reached the Olympic 200m final in Paris, finishing sixth against a world-class field.

However, her career has not been without controversy. Ofili was among the Nigerian athletes barred from competing at the Tokyo Olympics due to administrative and testing issues involving athletics authorities. More recently, she expressed frustration with the handling of her career by Nigerian athletics officials, particularly after an administrative error prevented her from competing in the women’s 100m at the Paris Olympics despite having qualified. The incident sparked widespread criticism and led to calls for reforms within Nigerian athletics administration.

Those frustrations partly fueled her attempt to switch sporting allegiance to Turkey. Ofili cited concerns about her career development and welfare as reasons for seeking the move. However, World Athletics rejected the transfer request in 2026, ruling that it formed part of a wider recruitment programme that did not meet the governing body’s transfer regulations. As a result, she remains eligible to represent Nigeria in international competitions.

Despite the off-track disputes, Ofili’s performances continue to speak for themselves. Ranked among the world’s leading sprinters, she remains one of Africa’s brightest athletics stars and a strong contender for medals at future global championships. Her latest achievement as Africa’s fastest woman over 200m is not only another personal milestone but also further evidence of her enduring impact on Nigerian and African athletics.