Nigeria Wins First Archery Team Gold at African Championships

Nigeria's archers returned from Algeria with their heads held high and their best championship haul ever: seven medals, including a historic first team gold.

The barebow women's team of Faith Adekogbe, Mandu Eteidung, and Precious Fanny-Amun made history in Oran, defeating host nation Algeria 5-3 in the final. It marked the first time Nigeria had ever won team gold at the African Archery Championships.

Adekogbe emerged as the star of the competition, collecting three medals across different events. She reached the individual final as the top seed and earned silver, adding another silver in the mixed team event alongside Abubakar Usman.

The success stretched across categories. Nigeria's compound men's team grabbed silver after a close final against Mauritius. The mixed compound duo of Hareke Evans and Seun Emmanuel Oyeleke also claimed silver, while Evans added individual bronze to round out the medal count.

The 18-athlete delegation represented Nigeria's largest-ever contingent at the championships, competing against 138 archers from 18 countries. Their medal haul built on steady progress from recent years, including strong showings in South Africa and Tunisia.

The Ripple Effect

NAFED President Mohammed Baba Abdullahi celebrated the breakthrough: "This is the day Nigeria stopped competing to take part and started competing to win."

The federation sees this moment as just the beginning. Director of Marketing Emmanuel Oyeleke emphasized that thousands of young Nigerians are now picking up bows for the first time, inspired by what they see their national team achieving.

The team is calling for corporate sponsorship and private investment to build on this momentum. They need support for equipment, training facilities, and travel to transform breakthrough performances into sustained excellence across every state.

Nigeria's archers proved they belong on the continental stage, and they're just getting started.