Team Nigeria has officially finished as the top-performing African nation at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, securing seventh place on the overall medal table.
According to an official press statement released by Kola Daniel, Special Assistant on Media to the Office of the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Nigeria concluded its campaign with a total of 24 medals—comprising 10 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze.
The country’s performance also made it the only African nation to secure a place in the top 10 among the 72 participating countries, reinforcing Nigeria’s position as one of the continent’s leading sporting nations.
South Africa finished 11th on the overall medals table, while Kenya placed 12th. Mauritius and Cameroon completed the list of African countries in the top 20, occupying 14th and 18th positions respectively.
Australia retained its dominance of the Commonwealth Games by topping the medals table with 70 gold, 45 silver and 56 bronze medals, successfully defending the position it achieved at the Birmingham 2022 Games.
Despite a significantly reduced sports programme in Glasgow, Team Nigeria delivered one of its strongest Commonwealth Games performances in recent history.
The exclusion of sports such as wrestling and table tennis—events in which Nigeria has traditionally excelled—meant fewer medal opportunities for the country.
Beyond its medal tally, Team Nigeria achieved several historic milestones across different sports. One of the standout moments came in athletics, where Samuel Ogazi claimed gold in the men’s 400 metres to become the first Nigerian man to win the Commonwealth Games title in the event.
His victory marked a significant breakthrough for Nigeria in one of athletics’ most prestigious races.
In women’s high jump, Temitope Adeshina also made history by winning the bronze medal, recording Nigeria’s first podium finish in the event at the Commonwealth Games.
Nigeria ended a 24-year wait for a Commonwealth Games medal in judo after Enku Ekuta secured bronze in the women’s -63kg category, providing another memorable highlight for Team Nigeria.
The country’s swimmers also showed encouraging signs of progress. Abduljabar Adama reached the semifinals, a notable achievement for Nigerian swimming as it continues its quest to compete consistently with the Commonwealth’s leading nations.
Another landmark achievement came from Nigeria’s wheelchair basketball team, which made an impressive debut by advancing beyond the group stage to reach the knockout playoff phase. The performance underscored the growing strength and potential of Nigeria’s para sports programme.
Reacting to the team’s performance, the Office of the Director General of the NSC described Nigeria’s seventh-place finish and status as Africa’s best-performing nation as evidence of the country’s resilience and steady progress despite competing in a Games with fewer medal events than previous editions.
The Commission noted that Team Nigeria’s achievements in Glasgow reflected years of investment in athlete development and the determination of Nigerian sportsmen and women to excel on the international stage.
With 10 gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals, Team Nigeria leaves Glasgow as Africa’s leading nation at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, having combined medal success with several historic breakthroughs that could shape the future of Nigerian sports.
