Badminton · National team
Nigeria’s National Badminton Team
Nigeria’s achievements on the court: African titles, the All-Africa Games, Olympic appearances and a historic Paralympic medal.
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From our archive
Badminton in Nigeria: achievements
Nigeria participated in the Badminton Tournament at the All-Africa Games which was held from October 4th to 13th in the year 2003 at the Indoor Sports Hall National Stadium Abuja, FCT Nigeria. In the Men’s Singles Tournament, Edicha Ocholi won a Gold medal; Ola Fagbemi won a Silver medal while Dotun Akinsanya won a Bronze medal.
Greg Okuonghae and Ibrahim Adamu won a Gold medal at the Men’s doubles while Abimbola Odejoke and Dotun Akinsanya won a Silver medal.
Coming to the Women’s Singles, Grace Daniel won a Gold medal, in the Women’s doubles, Susan Ideh and Grace Daniel won a Silver medal. Greg Okuonghae, Grace Daniel, Abimbola Odejoke, and Susan Ideh won a Bronze medal at the mixed doubles event.
Nigeria representatives won a total of five medals at the 2018 All Africa individual Badminton championship in Algeria which comprises 3 silver medals and 2 Bronze medals. Team Nigeria also won a total of 19 medals at the Uganda Para-Badminton International Championships and Africa Para-Badminton Championships in Kampala.
Nigeria also took part at the International tournament for badminton which was held in the city of Lagos in 2014 which was organised by Lagos State Badminton Association (LSBA) together with Badminton Federation of Nigeria of which they won the women’s and mixed doubles, represented by Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan/Maria Braimoh, and Enejoh Abah/Tosin Damilola Atolagbe.
Nigeria team has won also medals in the para badminton game like the one held in Uganda, on the 30th of April to the 4th of May 2018, where they came back with 19 medals, with Oyebanji Bello winning six medals in all.
Checked 29 September 2026
Nigeria’s record at a glance
| Event | Nigeria’s record |
|---|---|
| Olympic Games | Played at 1996 (first), Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024; best result group stage |
| Paralympic Games | Bronze: Mariam Eniola Bolaji, women’s singles SL3, Paris 2024 |
| African Championships (individual) | Opeyori men’s singles champion 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; Adesokan women’s singles and doubles champion 2019 |
| African team titles | Mixed team 4 (1980, 1982, 1988, 2019); men’s team 3; women’s team 2 |
| African Games | Mixed team gold 2007, 2011, 2019; Opeyori singles gold 2019, 2023 |
| 2023 African Games, Accra | 1 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze (2nd on the table) |
| Para World Championships 2026 | Silver (Bolaji, SL3) and bronze (Nnanna, SL4), Africa’s first |
| Commonwealth Games | No medals yet; badminton was not on the Glasgow 2026 programme |
Checked 30 September 2026
Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games and African Games
Nigeria is still looking for its first badminton medal at the Commonwealth Games, and badminton was not on the Glasgow 2026 programme. The African Games are a different story: Nigeria won the mixed team title in Rabat in 2019 and the men’s singles in Accra.
| Games | Nigeria’s record |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth Games | No medal yet; badminton not held at Glasgow 2026 |
| African Games 2015, Brazzaville | 5 medals; bronze in the team event |
| African Games 2019, Rabat | Mixed team gold (3-0 against Algeria); 2 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze in all |
| African Games 2023, Accra | Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori men’s singles gold; 1 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze |
The next African Games are in Cairo, Egypt, from 20 January to 7 February 2027. See the full medal stories on our Commonwealth Games and African Games pages.
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Keep reading
Badminton in Nigeria
One of Nigeria’s fastest growing sports: the federation, the players and the numbers.Read more
History of badminton in Nigeria
From Badminton House to African titles, with a verified timeline.Read more
Badminton competitions
The Lagos International Classics, African Championships and the 2026 calendar.Read more
Nigerian badminton players
Ranked players past and present, including para-badminton stars.Read more
Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori
Five-time African champion and two-time Olympian.Read more
Mariam Eniola Bolaji
Paralympic medallist and world No. 1 in para-badminton.Read more
World Tour Tracker
Weekly results of Nigerian players around the world.Read more
Contact Nigerian badminton
The Badminton Federation of Nigeria and the Lagos association.Read more
Quick answers
Nigeria’s badminton team: facts and figures
How did Nigeria do at the 2023 African Games in badminton?
Nigeria finished second on the badminton medal table in Accra with 1 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze. Anuoluwapo Opeyori won men’s singles gold, beating team-mate Godwin Olofua in the final.
Has Nigeria won a Commonwealth Games medal in badminton?
No. Nigerian players took part in 2002 and 2010. Badminton was not on the programme of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
What is Nigeria’s best world ranking in badminton?
Nigeria’s highest team ranking was 27th, in January 2016. Opeyori reached a career-high 86th in men’s singles (2023), and Bolaji was world No. 1 in para-badminton SL3 in 2026.
How did Nigeria do at the 2026 African Championships?
Nigeria won one bronze medal in Gaborone, in mixed doubles (Saidu Aliyu and Olajumoke Obasanmi). Opeyori’s run of African titles ended as Egypt’s Adham Elgamal won the men’s singles.
Has Nigeria won the African Games badminton team title?
Yes. Nigeria won the mixed team gold at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, beating Algeria 3-0 in the final.