Nigeria finishes seventh at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Team Nigeria ended its campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Sunday, finishing seventh on the final medals table with 24 medals made up of 10 gold, seven silver and seven bronze.

Nigeria also emerged as the highest-ranked African nation at the Games, ahead of traditional rivals South Africa and Kenya.

Australia topped the medals table with 171 medals, including 70 gold, while England finished second with 110 medals. Canada placed third, with India, Scotland and New Zealand completing the top six ahead of Nigeria.

For Team Nigeria, Glasgow 2026 will be remembered as one of the country’s best Commonwealth Games outings in recent years. The medals came from athletics, weightlifting, para-athletics, para-powerlifting and judo, with several athletes making history along the way.

One of the biggest stars was Samuel Ogazi, who won the men’s 400 metres in 44.25 seconds to become the first Nigerian to win Commonwealth gold in the event.

Ezekiel Nathaniel also entered the history books after becoming the first Nigerian man to win the Commonwealth title in the 400m hurdles.

In the field events, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi became Nigeria’s first Commonwealth champion in the men’s shot put, while Ruth Usoro won silver in the women’s long jump after producing one of the best performances of her career.

There were more memorable moments on the track. Udodi Onwuzurike won silver in the men’s 200 metres after improving on his sixth-place finish at Birmingham 2022, while Ella Onojuvwevwo ended Nigeria’s 32-year wait for a Commonwealth Games medal in the women’s 400 metres by winning bronze.

World record holder Tobi Amusan also added another international medal to her collection with bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Nigeria’s relay teams also impressed. The mixed 4x400m quartet won bronze in the event’s Commonwealth Games debut, while the men’s 4x100m team claimed bronze after Canada successfully appealed its earlier disqualification.

Away from athletics, Nigeria’s weightlifters and para-athletes continued the country’s rich tradition of success at the Commonwealth Games, contributing significantly to the overall medal haul.

The Games themselves were a major success. Over 11 days, more than 74 nations and territories competed in 10 sports, with 1,168 medals awarded across 215 medal events.

Organisers said more than 630,000 people attended events, live sites and the Glasgow 2026 Festival. More than 4,000 volunteers contributed over 156,000 hours of service, while the Games’ social media platforms attracted almost half a billion views worldwide. With Glasgow 2026 now over, attention will gradually turn to the World Championships and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where many of these athletes will hope to build on the confidence and momentum gained in Scotland.