Nigerian roots: Nigerian-American; rowed for Nigeria.
2016Rio Olympian
1stNigerian Olympic rower
20thRio result
Stanford University graduate.
Qualified at the 2015 African regatta.
2
AB
Photo coming soon: we only use free-licence or credited photos
Ayomide Bello
Canoe sprint and slalom
Born 4 April 2002, Epe, Lagos
Nigerian roots: born in Epe, Lagos State.
4African Games golds
2Olympic Games
2018Youth Olympian
Nigeria’s first female Olympic canoeist.
Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
3
ET
Photo coming soon: we only use free-licence or credited photos
Esther Toko
Rowing · single sculls
Born 28 March 2000
Nigerian roots: home-based Nigerian rower.
2020Tokyo Olympian
1stHome-based Olympic rower
2019African Beach Games medals
Started as a canoeist.
Silver and bronze at the 2019 African Beach Games.
4
JA
Photo coming soon: we only use free-licence or credited photos
Jonathan Akinyemi
Canoe slalom · K1
Born 22 November 1988, Warrington, England
Nigerian roots: Nigerian father; first visited Nigeria in 2008.
2012London Olympian
2016Rio Olympian
20thRio result
Nigeria’s first Olympic canoeist.
Based in the United Kingdom.
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From our archive
Rowing in Nigeria: Hall of Fame
Nigeria has not fully participated in the game/sports of rowing. Still, they are few to the expectations featured in international tournaments, giving Nigeria a face-lift in the rowing sports field. Some of the rowers include;
Chierika Ukogu is a Nigerian professional rower; she was born in America on 2nd October 1992 in Northeast Philadelphia, U.S. She’s also known as Coco and attended Stanford University.
Ukogu qualified at the 2015 FISA African Olympic Qualification Regatta to represent Nigeria at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, making her the first Nigerian to achieve such.
Chierika Ukogu made history by being the first Nigerian athlete to compete in the rowing event at the Olympic Games 2016 after she finished on the women’s singles sculls’ final day.
Jonathan Akinyemi, a Nigerian slalom canoeist from the same federation, is based in the UK and represented the country in the K1 slalom at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where he did not advance beyond the heats.
In 2016, he also competed at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he finished 20th in the men’s K1 slalom.
