Nigeria Sports Celebrating passion, talent and excellence

The complete guide

All Sports Played in Nigeria, A to Z

From the Super Eagles to bobsled, here is every sport we document in Nigeria: what it is, who runs it, and what Nigerians have won. Choose a group below or scroll the full list.

  • 38 sports
  • 9 groups
  • 27 Olympic medals in 6 sports
  • 87 Paralympic medals

How sport works in Nigeria

One country, dozens of sports

Nigeria plays far more than football. Every sport on this page has a national federation or club network, national or state competitions, and athletes chasing places on Team Nigeria.

At federal level, sport is run by the National Sports Commission, which took over from the Ministry of Sports Development in October 2024. The Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria prepare teams for the Games, while the National Sports Festival brings every state together. Each sport below links to its own section, with history, teams, leagues, players and contacts.

Football and team sports

Football, basketball, handball, hockey, rugby, cricket and baseball. 8 sports

  • Baseball

    Baseball and softball are growing through school and youth programmes. The Nigeria Baseball and Softball Association organises teams and competitions across the country.

    Governing body: Nigeria Baseball and Softball Association (NBSA)

  • Basketball7 AfroBasket titles

    D’Tigress have won 7 Women’s AfroBasket titles and D’Tigers won AfroBasket in 2015. Nigeria has also given the NBA legends such as Hakeem Olajuwon.

    Governing body: Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF)

  • Cricket

    Cricket arrived in colonial times and is now governed by the Nigeria Cricket Federation. Men’s and women’s national teams play in international competitions.

    Governing body: Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF)

  • Football (Soccer)Olympic gold 1996

    Nigeria’s favourite sport. The Super Eagles have 3 AFCON titles, the Super Falcons 10 WAFCON titles, and Nigeria won Olympic football gold in 1996.

    Governing body: Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)

  • Football Clubs (NPFL & NNL)20 NPFL clubs

    The Nigeria Premier Football League has 20 clubs, with the Nigeria National League below it. Enyimba and Enugu Rangers share the record of 9 league titles each.

    Governing body: NPFL and NNL, under the NFF

  • Handball

    Fast, physical team play with men’s and women’s leagues. Many players are first spotted in secondary schools across the country.

    Governing body: Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN)

  • Hockey

    Field hockey for men and women, with national teams and club competitions run by the Nigeria Hockey Federation.

    Governing body: Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF)

  • Rugby

    Rugby union and sevens, with clubs in Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and beyond under the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation.

    Governing body: Nigeria Rugby Football Federation

Athletics and cycling

Track and field, road running and cycling. 2 sports

  • Athletics14 Olympic medals

    Nigeria’s most successful Olympic sport, with 14 of the country’s 27 Olympic medals. Track and field covers sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps and throws, from Chioma Ajunwa to Tobi Amusan.

    Governing body: Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)

  • Cycling

    Road racing and track cycling, organised by the Cycling Federation of Nigeria with state associations such as Lagos State Cycling Association.

    Governing body: Cycling Federation of Nigeria

Combat sports

Boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, taekwondo, kickboxing, fencing and other martial arts. 8 sports

  • Boxing6 Olympic medals

    Boxing won Nigeria its first Olympic medal, in 1964, and 6 Olympic medals in all. Nigerian fighters have held world titles since the days of Dick Tiger.

    Governing body: Nigeria Boxing Federation

  • Fencing

    Épée, foil and sabre, promoted in schools through national and interschool competitions run by the Nigeria Fencing Federation.

    Governing body: Nigeria Fencing Federation

  • Judo

    Throws and holds on the tatami. The Nigeria Judo Federation grew out of the Nigerian Amateur Judo Association and prepares judokas for African and world events.

    Governing body: Nigeria Judo Federation

  • Karate

    Kata and kumite, from local dojos to national championships organised by the Karate Federation of Nigeria.

    Governing body: Karate Federation of Nigeria

  • Kickboxing

    Strikes and kicks in the ring, with amateur and professional contests growing under the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria.

    Governing body: Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria

  • Martial Arts

    Traditional and modern fighting arts practised in clubs, schools and gyms across Nigeria.

    Governing body: Clubs and styles associations

  • TaekwondoOlympic bronze 2008

    Chika Chukwumerije won Olympic bronze at Beijing 2008. The Nigeria Taekwondo Federation develops fighters for African and world championships.

    Governing body: Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF)

  • WrestlingOlympic silver 2020

    A traditional sport in many Nigerian communities. Blessing Oborududu won Olympic silver in freestyle wrestling at Tokyo 2020.

    Governing body: Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF)

Racket sports

Table tennis, lawn tennis, badminton and squash. 4 sports

  • Badminton1 Paralympic medal

    Played in schools, clubs and state sports councils, with national championships run by the Badminton Federation of Nigeria. Para badminton has also won Nigeria a Paralympic medal.

    Governing body: Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN)

  • Lawn Tennis

    Tennis in Nigeria dates back to championships in Lagos in the 1920s. Today clubs in Lagos, Abuja and other cities feed national and international events.

    Governing body: Nigeria Tennis Federation

  • Squash

    Fast indoor racket play, with national championships run by the Nigeria Squash Federation and Nigerian players on the international circuit.

    Governing body: Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF)

  • Table Tennis6 Paralympic medals

    A national favourite, played in almost every town. Quadri Aruna is Africa’s best-known player, and para table tennis has won Nigeria 6 Paralympic medals.

    Governing body: Nigeria Table Tennis Federation

Water sports

Swimming, rowing, watersports and scuba diving. 4 sports

  • Rowing

    Rowing, canoeing and sailing on Nigeria’s lagoons and rivers, governed by the Nigeria Rowing, Canoe and Sailing Federation.

    Governing body: Nigeria Rowing, Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF)

  • Scuba Diving

    Recreational and sport diving in Nigeria’s coastal waters, led by diving clubs in Lagos.

    Governing body: Diving clubs

  • Swimming

    Swimming and diving, governed by the Nigeria Aquatic Federation, formerly the Amateur Swimming Association of Nigeria.

    Governing body: Nigeria Aquatic Federation (NAqF)

  • WatersportsE1 Lagos GP 2025

    Canoeing, sailing, surfing, jet skis and centuries-old regattas on Nigeria’s lagoons, rivers and coast. Lagos hosted Africa’s first E1 electric powerboat race in 2025.

    Governing body: Nigeria Rowing, Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF)

Target and precision sports

Archery, golf, bowling and paintball. 4 sports

  • Archery

    Target archery with a growing club scene, led by the Nigeria Archery Federation. Clubs such as Lekki Archers and the Police Archery Association keep new archers coming through.

    Governing body: Nigeria Archery Federation

  • Bowling

    Tenpin bowling began as recreation in lounges in Lagos and Abuja. The Nigeria Tenpin Bowling Federation now develops it as a competitive sport across the states.

    Governing body: Nigeria Tenpin Bowling Federation (NTBF)

  • Golf

    Courses from Lagos to Abuja and beyond, with amateur golf and national championships overseen by the Nigeria Golf Federation.

    Governing body: Nigeria Golf Federation

  • Paintball

    One of the fastest growing extreme sports in Nigeria, played in teams at paintball centres by friends, clubs and companies.

    Governing body: Paintball centres and clubs

Strength and artistic sports

Gymnastics and bodybuilding. 2 sports

  • Bodybuilding

    Physique and fitness contests from state shows to international events. Competitions are organised by the Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation of Nigeria.

    Governing body: Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation of Nigeria (ABBFN)

  • Gymnastics

    Artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, organised by the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria, which was established in 1975.

    Governing body: Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria

Speed, horses and winter sports

Motorsports, horse racing, polo and bobsled. 4 sports

  • BobsledWinter Olympics 2018

    Nigeria’s first Winter Olympians were its two-woman bobsleigh crew at PyeongChang 2018. The sport is run by the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria.

    Governing body: Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria

  • Horse Racing

    Racing and riding are organised through clubs such as the Ikeja Saddle Club in Lagos and the Abuja Horse and Country Club.

    Governing body: Riding and racing clubs

  • Motorsports

    Racing, rallies and car events, with associations working to build a lasting motorsport scene in Nigeria.

    Governing body: Nigeria Auto Sports Association

  • Polo

    Horses and mallets at historic clubs in Lagos, Kaduna and other cities, with tournaments organised under the Nigeria Polo Federation.

    Governing body: Nigeria Polo Federation (NPF)

Multi-sport Games

Nigeria at the Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth and African Games. 4 Games

  • Olympic Games27 Olympic medals

    Nigeria has taken part in the Summer Olympics since Helsinki 1952 and has won 27 medals, including 3 golds. It has also been to 3 Winter Olympics.

    Governing body: Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC)

  • Paralympics87 Paralympic medals

    Nigeria’s most successful international stage: 87 Paralympic medals including 42 golds, with powerlifting winning 58 of them.

    Governing body: Paralympic Committee of Nigeria

  • Commonwealth Games294 Commonwealth medals

    Nigeria has won 294 Commonwealth Games medals since Auckland 1950, and finished 7th with 10 golds at Glasgow 2026.

    Governing body: Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC)

  • African Games1,447 African Games medals

    The second most successful nation in African Games history, host of Lagos 1973 and Abuja 2003, and runner-up at Accra 2023.

    Governing body: Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC)

Statistics · Checked

Which sports win medals for Nigeria?

Olympic Games, by sport

All Summer Olympic medals from Helsinki 1952 to Paris 2024. Athletics has won more than every other sport combined.

Nigeria’s Summer Olympic medals by sport, 1952 to 2024
SportGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Athletics25714
Boxing0336
Football1113
Weightlifting0112
Wrestling0101
Taekwondo0011
All sports3111327

Paralympic Games, by sport

All Paralympic medals up to Paris 2024. Powerlifting alone has won two thirds of them.

Nigeria’s Paralympic medals by sport, up to 2024
SportGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Powerlifting26181458
Athletics144422
Table tennis2046
Badminton0011
All sports42222387

Quick answers

Sport in Nigeria: facts and figures

How many sports are played in Nigeria?

Nigerians play dozens of organised sports. SitesNG.com documents 38 of them, from football, athletics and basketball to bobsled, polo, paintball and watersports, each with its own history, teams and governing body. The National Sports Festival shows the range: the 2025 festival in Ogun State featured 32 sports, and the 2026 festival in Enugu has 20 (15 compulsory sports plus 5 chosen by the host state).

Which sport has won Nigeria the most Olympic medals?

Athletics, with 14 of Nigeria’s 27 Summer Olympic medals (2 gold, 5 silver, 7 bronze). Boxing is second with 6 medals (3 silver, 3 bronze), followed by football with 3 (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), weightlifting with 2, and wrestling and taekwondo with 1 each.

Which sport has won Nigeria the most Paralympic medals?

Powerlifting. Nigerian para powerlifters have won 58 of the country’s 87 Paralympic medals, including 26 of its 42 golds, up to Paris 2024. Para athletics has won 22 medals, para table tennis 6 and para badminton 1.

Which Nigerian national teams have won African titles?

The Super Eagles have won the Africa Cup of Nations 3 times (1980, 1994, 2013). The Super Falcons have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations a record 10 times. In basketball, D’Tigress have won 7 Women’s AfroBasket titles, five of them in a row from 2017 to 2025, and D’Tigers won the men’s AfroBasket in 2015.

Who is in charge of sport in Nigeria?

The National Sports Commission (NSC) runs sport at federal level. In October 2024 the Federal Ministry of Sports Development was wound up and its work moved to the NSC, chaired by Shehu Dikko. The Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria manage Olympic and Paralympic teams, and each sport has its own national federation, such as the Nigeria Football Federation or the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

Has Nigeria ever competed at the Winter Olympics?

Yes, 3 times. Nigeria made its Winter Olympics debut at PyeongChang 2018 with a two-woman bobsleigh crew (Seun Adigun, Akuoma Omeoga and Ngozi Onwumere) and skeleton racer Simidele Adeagbo. Cross-country skier Samuel Ikpefan represented Nigeria at Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026.

When did Nigeria first take part in the Olympic Games?

Nigeria first competed at the Summer Olympics in Helsinki in 1952. Its first medal came 12 years later, a boxing bronze for Nojim Maiyegun at Tokyo 1964, and its first golds came at Atlanta 1996.

Which sports does Nigeria win medals in at the Olympics?

Nigeria has won Olympic medals in 6 sports: athletics, boxing, football, weightlifting, wrestling and taekwondo. The three golds came in athletics (Chioma Ajunwa’s long jump in 1996 and the men’s 4x400m relay in 2000) and football (the men’s team in 1996).

All sports, A to Z

Photo credits: Football Clubs, Funman19 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Bowling, Xiaphias (CC BY-SA 3.0); both via Wikimedia Commons. All other photos © SitesNG.com.