Nigeria secures 7 medals, goes 4th on commonwealth table

Nigeria has secured seven medals so far at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, taking team Nigeria to 4th on the medal table.

Most of the medals have come from para powerlifting on the opening day of competition.

Roland Ezuruike won silver in the men’s lightweight event with 153.9 points after a failed final attempt at a Games record lift of 190 kg. Esther Nworgu took gold in the women’s lightweight category, lifting 123 kg for 119 points and breaking the Games record twice.

Esther Oyema earned silver in the same event. Folashade Oluwafemiayo won gold in the women’s heavyweight division and set world records with lifts of 172 kg and 175 kg. Rita Ferdinand claimed silver in the women’s heavyweight with a world record lift of 158 kg. Riluwan Idris secured gold in the men’s heavyweight with a 208 kg lift.

These results placed Nigeria high on the early medal table, behind Australia but ahead of several traditional powers. The team of 72 athletes competes in 10 sports, including athletics, where hopes rest on athletes such as Tobi Amusan.

Before the Games, sprinter Favour Onyah threatened to stop representing Nigeria after her omission from the athletics squad despite qualifying at the national trials. She publicly expressed frustration over repeated selection issues.

On July 27, Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu won the second heat of the men’s 100 m in 10.09 seconds with a +1.5 m/s wind, recording the fastest 100 m heat time at the Commonwealth Games at that moment. He advanced to the semifinals.

Nigeria continues its campaign through August 2 with events in athletics, boxing, and other disciplines.