Nigeria clinched 35 medals at the 2026 Africa Zone 2 Swimming Championships in Dakar, Senegal, with the Nigeria Aquatics Federation describing it as the country’s best outing at the competition in more than a decade.
Team Nigeria wrapped up the championship with 17 gold, 14 silver and four bronze medals across individual and relay events.
The Nigeria Aquatics Federation congratulated the country’s junior and senior swimmers, along with the coaches and technical officials, for their performance at the continental zonal competition.
NAqF President Lekan Fatodu said the medal haul marked a significant achievement for Nigerian swimming and reflected the progress being made in the sport’s development.
“The performance of our swimmers in Dakar is a thing of great pride for Nigeria. Winning 35 medals, including 17 gold medals, is a significant achievement and one that shows the commitment and hard work of our athletes, coaches and the entire technical crew,” Fatodu said.
He also commended the junior swimmers for their showing, saying it served as an encouragement ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, set to take place in Dakar from October 30 to November 13.
Fatodu said the championship had given the federation the opportunity to assess the progress of its young swimmers while stepping up preparations for future international competitions.
He added that the federation would continue strengthening its development programmes, enhancing athletes’ preparation and creating more opportunities for Nigerian swimmers to compete at the highest level.
The NAqF president expressed confidence that the strong showing in Dakar would give a boost to Nigeria’s preparations for the Youth Olympic Games and other upcoming international competitions.
The federation reaffirmed its commitment to building a strong pipeline of swimmers capable of competing successfully at both African and global competitions.
