Nigerian roots: grandson of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, former NAFDAC Director-General; fences for Nigeria since October 2023.
Top 10World junior sabre
2024Satellite silver
7thAfrica 2026
Seventh at the 2026 African Championships in Abidjan.
The first Nigerian in the world junior top 10 of men’s sabre.
2
OA
Photo coming soon: we only use free-licence or credited photos
Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye
Sabre · Men
Based in the United Kingdom
Nigerian roots: fenced for England as a cadet and junior before choosing Nigeria.
65thWorld senior sabre, 2025
QFAfrica 2025
BronzeCommonwealth 2026
Bronze in men’s senior sabre at the 2026 Commonwealth Championships.
Beat Olympic silver medallist Fares Ferjani 5-4 at the 2025 African Championships.
3
OO
Photo coming soon: we only use free-licence or credited photos
Oghenegaren Osievwa-Thompson
Fencer · Youth
Aged 17 in 2026
Nigerian roots: a home-grown Nigerian talent.
1stInternational gold
2026Commonwealth
17Age
Won Nigeria’s first international fencing gold in Lagos.
The breakthrough of the 2026 Commonwealth Championships.
4
CD
Photo coming soon: we only use free-licence or credited photos
Chidinma Dennis
Wheelchair foil · Women
Nigeria wheelchair team
Nigerian roots: a home-grown Nigerian para athlete.
SilverCommonwealth 2026
1stAfrican wheelchair medal
3Months of training
Silver in women’s wheelchair foil.
Described as Africa’s first international wheelchair fencing medal.
5
TE
Photo coming soon: we only use free-licence or credited photos
Tosan Egbesemirone
Foil · Men
Born 18 October 2000; based in the United States
Nigerian roots: a Nigerian junior foil fencer living in the United States.
2018Junior African bronze
1stNigerian medallist
FoilWeapon
Nigeria’s first international fencing medallist.
Bronze in individual men’s foil at the 2018 Junior African Championships in Lagos.
From our archive
Nigerian fencing Hall of Fame
Nigeria has since the inception of the game/sports in the country featured in so many fencing events which includes local, national, continental and intercontinental fencing championships and tournaments, and has made the nation proud with its performance. One of such players and the first to win a medal for Nigeria in the game of fencing is Tosan Egbesemirone Oritsematosan.
Tosan Egbesemirone Oritsematosan is a Nigerian foil fencer and the first to win a medal for Nigeria at an international championship: bronze in the individual men’s foil at the 2018 Junior African Championships. He was born on the 18th day of October 2000.
The maiden competition held in Nigeria was made possible by the Nigeria Fencing, led by its President, Adeyinka Samuel during which the country got its first medal at the championship featuring 13 countries through Tosan Egbesemirone in the men’s individual foil category.
Egbesemirone represented Nigeria in several international tournaments in 2018, including the Grand Prix on 18th May 2018 in Shanghai, China, the Tournoi Satellite on 26th May 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the African Championships in Tunis, Tunisia in June 2018.
In July 2025 sabre fencer Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye was 65th in the world senior rankings, Nigeria’s best, while Inkosi Brou was 23rd in the world junior rankings.
Are there Nigerian-heritage fencers abroad?
Yes. Inkosi Brou was born and raised in the United States and Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye is based in the United Kingdom; both now fence for Nigeria, as does US-based foil fencer Tosan Egbesemirone.
