As we reflect on the remarkable achievements of the best female athletes in Nigeria for 2024, it becomes clear that this has been a year of unprecedented excellence.
Most women in sports have continued to push the boundaries of human potential, inspiring countless fans around the world.
In this special feature, we pay tribute to the outstanding female athletes who have made an indelible mark on their respective sports. These remarkable women have demonstrated unwavering dedication, unrelenting passion, and unbridled talent, serving as beacons of empowerment and inspiration for future generations.
Find out who has been crowned the outstanding female athletes of 2024 and discover the remarkable stories behind their success.
Here is the list of the best female athletes in Nigeria for 2024:
(10) Prestina Ochonogor
Age: 18
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Sports: Long Jump
Prestina Ochonogor was one of the brightest talents on the Nigerian athletic circuit. Rising through the ranks in 2023, her biggest achievement was a silver medal in the women’s long jump at the African U-18 Championships in Lusaka, with a then-PB of 6.00m.
In her 2024 season debut, Ochonogor wasted no time in making a statement, going out to an impressive PB of 6.66m at the Dynamic Athletics Outdoor Meet in Lagos. She was selected for the African Games, where she produced the performance of her life, leaping a windy 6.67m to claim bronze in the women’s long jump and help Nigeria secure a 1-3 finish alongside Ese Brume. She stormed into an impressive 6.65m in the second round to move into second in that first automatic spot in the finals.
(9) Olayinka Olajide
Age: 22
Sports: Track and Field
Olayinka Olajide took the world by storm when she ran a personal best of 11.19s to win the women’s 100m at the MTN CHAMPS/African Games Trials in Asaba.
At the Games in Accra, she stormed to bronze—the first medal by a Nigerian woman over 100 m at the African Games in 12 years! She also copped two other medals: a silver in the 200m and a gold in the 4x100m, proving to be a vital asset on the Nigerian relay team for the season, which ultimately got her selected for the Olympics in Paris.
(8) Ella Onojuvwevwo
Age: 19
Sports: Track and Field
Ella Onojuvwevwo became the fastest Nigerian woman in the 400m in over two decades when she ran a PB of 50.57s in Florida, making her the fastest since National Record holder Falilat Ogunkoya clocked 50.50s in 2001, which took her up to 5th on the Nigerian all-time list.
She surpassed the Olympic qualifying standard for the event pegged at 50.95s and took down the LSU School Record that has stood for 21 years. She finished the season as an Olympic semifinalist in Paris and World U-20 finalist.
(7) Esther Elo-Joseph
Age: 21
Sports: Track and Field
Esther Elo Joseph ended the 2024 season as the highest-ranked female athlete in the 400m. She started her season with a strong performance at the Dynamic Athletics Meet in Lagos, setting a new PB of 53.01s. She continued with a stunning victory at the MTN CHAMPS/AFN National Trials, where she defeated veteran Patience Okon-George and recorded a remarkable 52.00s, a pivotal breakthrough in her career.
Joseph carried her impressive form into the African Games, setting new PBs in each round of the 400m. Her outstanding efforts earned her a silver medal in the final, where she clocked 51.61s in her debut for Nigeria. She also claimed GOLD as the anchor of Nigeria’s 4x400m relay team. At the World Relays in The Bahamas, she contributed to Nigeria’s African record of 3:12.87 in the mixed 4x400m relay, securing Olympic qualification in the process.
(6) Ezinne Kalu
Age: 32
Sports: Basketball
Ezinne Kalu was one of the shining lights for D'Tigress at the Paris 2024 Olympics; her fantastic performance saw her get named into the All-Season Team of the Women’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games Basketball Tournament.
Although Nigeria lost to eventual eighth back-to-back champions USA 74-88 on Wednesday night, Kalu was a major force behind D'Tigress, becoming the first-ever African team to play in an Olympic quarterfinal.
(5) Ese Brume
Age: 28
Sports: Track and Field
Ese Brume is one of the shining lights for Nigeria, the long jumper, who qualified for the women's long jump final at the Paris 2024 Olympics and finished in fifth place. She qualified for the final with a jump of 6.76 meters, saving her spot after falling to ninth place.
Brume made history alongside Ruth Usoro, and Prestina Ochonogor by becoming the first three Nigerian athletes to advance to the final of an individual Olympic event. Also, part of her achievement for this year was her winning gold medal at the African Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon.
(4) Favour Ofili
Age: 21
Sports: Track and Field
Favour Ofili was the first Nigerian woman in an Olympic 200m final since 1996. She made history by becoming the first Nigerian woman in 28 years to qualify for the final of the women’s 200m at an Olympic Games. The last Nigerian to reach the women’s 200m final was Mary Onyali, who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
She was one of just two Nigerian athletes who made the final of a track event in Paris and the only woman to do so.
(3) Rasheedat Ajibade
Age: 24
Sports: Football
Rasheedat Ajibade, popularly known as the lady with the blue hair, has been impressive both on and off the pitch for both club (Atletico Madrid) and country. Her recent form saw her crowned as Spanish Liga F’s Player of the month for September, capping off an incredible run of form for Atletico Madrid. The 24-year-old forward player scored five goals in four League matches for Atletico.
(2) Tobi Amusan
Age: 27
Sports: Track and Field
World record holder Tobi Amusan has been selected as Nigeria's flagbearer for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The selection was a historic moment for Nigerian athletics, as Amusan became the first track and field athlete in two decades to receive this honour.
Amusan was on a low key this year, following the incident with the Athletics Integrity Unit ( AIU) in 2023. However, she qualified for the 100m hurdles semi-finals in the 2024 Paris Olympics with a time of 12.49 seconds but failed to reach the finals of the event. She also won three consecutive African Games gold medals in 2024 in Accra. She also anchored Nigeria to the women's 4x100m relay gold.
(1) Rene Wakama
Age: 32
Sports: Basketball
The head coach of Nigeria's D'Tigress is by far the most impressive sportsperson for the year following the impressive performance of the team at the Paris 2024 Olympic games.
Wakama is the first coach to lead Nigeria to victory against a top-ranked team (Australia) at the Olympics. She is also the first coach to lead an African basketball team to two wins in a single Olympic tournament.
The 32-year-old is the first coach to lead an African basketball team (male or female) to the quarterfinal of the Olympic Games and was also named the best female coach of the competition.
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