Nigeria’s Young Swimmers Shine at Africa Youth Games

Team Nigeria’s swimmers are continuing to signal a major shift in the nation’s sporting fortunes, as performances at the Africa Youth Games in Angola underline a growing revolution in a discipline where the country has historically struggled for relevance.

For decades, swimming had remained one of Nigeria’s weakest areas at major multi-sport events, despite its high medal yield. At continental competitions, countries such as Egypt and South Africa routinely dominated the pool, harvesting medals in bulk and often using those gains to finish ahead of Nigeria on overall medals tables. Nigeria’s limited impact in African swimming competitions also meant that expectations at the global level were understandably low.

The roots of those shortcomings were long-standing. Swimming is a sport that rewards early exposure and structured development, yet Nigeria lacked strong foundations at the grassroots and junior levels. As a result, the country rarely produced competitive swimmers capable of challenging for medals, even in youth categories.

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Recent developments, however, suggest a decisive turnaround. Nigeria has recorded a steady stream of medals in age-group championships in the past few years, a trend that is now being reinforced at the ongoing Africa Youth Games in Angola. The performances in Luanda point to a new generation of swimmers emerging with confidence, structure and ambition.

A major symbol of this transformation is 17-year-old Abdul Jabar Adama, whose rise over the past year has redefined Nigeria’s swimming narrative. In May, Adama was named the best male athlete at the 3rd Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Cairo after winning three gold medals in the 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle. His efforts propelled Nigeria to a third-place finish on the overall medals table. On the same day, he broke the championship record twice in the 50m butterfly, underlining his dominance.

Adama’s breakthrough extended beyond the continent. In August, he became the first Nigerian swimmer to win a medal at the World Aquatics Junior Championships in Romania, claiming silver in the men’s 50m butterfly. His semifinal time of 23.48 seconds set a new national record, eclipsing the 23.61 seconds he had posted earlier that same day. Earlier in April, he had already lowered the national mark to 23.81 seconds at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, illustrating a remarkable progression.

While Adama has been setting the pace, results at the Africa Youth Games show that Nigeria’s swimming resurgence is broader than a single athlete. On Saturday in Luanda, 14-year-old Aidan Dumuje Abili announced himself on the continental stage by winning bronze in the 50m butterfly with a personal best time of 25.78 seconds. The performance represented an improvement on the 26.07 seconds he recorded in Ghana in October.

Abili is a product of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative, which allows promising young athletes to gain exposure by competing alongside elite performers. He previously won two silver and one bronze medal at the last National Sports Festival and was a triple gold medalist at the 2024 National Youth Games.

Speaking after his race, Abili expressed gratitude for the opportunity provided through the IJA programme, describing the exposure as a crucial step in his development. He said the experience of competing at a higher level had broadened his understanding of the sport and strengthened his ambition.

“I have not participated at this level before. On behalf of the other IJA athletes, I thank the NSC for this opportunity. I have learnt quite a lot here. This exposure will surely help me in my career,” he said.

Abili added that his long-term targets include the Youth Olympics and the Olympic Games, pledging to make the most of the platforms provided by competitions such as the National Sports Festival and the Africa Youth Games.

On the evidence of performances in Luanda, Nigeria’s young swimmers appear to be turning promise into results. With a growing pool of talented teenagers and improved exposure at regional and global events, the country’s long-awaited swimming revolution is beginning to take shape, offering hope of sustained podium finishes in the years ahead.

Clement Nwankpa Jr