Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC) chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko is applauding what he referred to as an exceptional outing by the country’s weightlifters at the African championship, where he noted they brought pride to the nation.
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Sports247 reports that Dikko’s commendation came after Nigeria’s contingent stayed top of the 2026 Senior Africa Weightlifting Championship log in Egypt, with nine additional gold medals to sustain their leadership on the overall table.
Liadi Taiwo won all the three medals in women 77kg category, while Edidiong Umoafia won a gold and two silver medals in the men’s 71kg men class and Adedapo Adeleke won three silver medals on offer in the men’s 79kg cadre.
Their haul took Nigeria’s total medals to 26 on Thursday – comprising 14 gold and 10 silver – which had already surpassed the country’s total from the 2025 edition in Mauritius, where the team got 18 medals (13 gold, four silver and one bronze).
Much to Dikko’s delight, Team Nigeria surged into this weekend with 14 gold and 12 silver medals to lead the pack at the ongoing competition in Ismaili, Egypt, which also serves as 2026 Commonwealth Games qualification.
He described the performances as a clear reflection of the renewed commitment to sporting excellence in the country, noting that the athletes have continued to justify the confidence and investments being made in Nigerian sports.
The NSC boss also praised the executive committee and officials of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) for mobilizing the lifters and their coaches to pull off several outstanding performances at the ongoing championship.
Dikko further commended NWF president, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul, for the continued development of weightlifting in the country and praised the federation’s commitment to producing elite lifters who can excel on the international stage.
He pointed out, “This exceptional outing by our weightlifters is another proud moment for Nigeria and proof that our athletes can dominate on any stage when given the right support and environment.
“The consistency, discipline and hunger shown by these athletes are truly commendable. We congratulate the federation, the coaches and athletes for making the nation proud, while also strengthening our Commonwealth Games prospects.”
Sports247 gathered that 10 lifters are representing Nigeria at the championships in Egypt, where more events coming up this Saturday hold huge promises of additional medals that will keep the team top of the final table.
