Team Nigeria’s participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics concluded with a disappointing outcome, marking their worst performance in the history of the event. The country secured a total of seven medals, consisting of two gold, three silver, and two bronze, placing them in the 40th position on the overall medal table. This result highlights a significant decline when compared to their previous Paralympic outings since their debut in 1992.
One of the few shining moments for Team Nigeria came on the final day of the Paralympics, when Folashade Oluwafemiayo broke her own world record in the women’s over 86 kg para-powerlifting category. She became the first para-athlete ever to lift an astounding 166 kg, winning a gold medal for her remarkable effort. Her performance was a standout achievement for Nigeria and raised the country’s medal tally to seven.
Prior to this, Team Nigeria had seen some success in the earlier days of the Paralympics. Isau Ogunkunle made history by winning a bronze medal in the Men’s Singles Class 4 Para Table Tennis event, becoming the first Nigerian athlete to earn an individual table tennis medal since the Sydney 2000 Paralympics. On the same day, Bose Omolayo lifted an impressive 145 kg in the Women’s 79 kg Para Powerlifting event, securing a silver medal. Flora Ugwunwa also contributed to Nigeria’s medal count by winning silver in the Women’s Javelin F54 category with a remarkable throw of 19.26 meters.
Before these successes, Nigeria had managed to earn three medals in the earlier stages of the event from powerlifting, para-table tennis, and para-badminton. On Friday, powerlifter Onyinyechi Mark won Nigeria’s first gold medal at the Paris Paralympics after lifting an impressive 150 kg in the women’s 61 kg category.
Despite these achievements, the overall performance of Team Nigeria at the 2024 Paralympics fell short of expectations. The team’s medal tally is notably lower than their previous outings, especially considering their rich history of success at the Paralympics. In their debut at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, with just six athletes, Nigeria managed to win three gold medals, finishing in 21st place. At the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, the team brought home eight medals—three gold, two silver, and three bronze.
The 2000 Sydney Paralympics was a high point for Nigeria, as the team earned an impressive 13 medals, including seven gold, one silver, and five bronze. In Athens 2004, the medal count was slightly reduced to five gold, four silver, and three bronze. This decline continued in Beijing 2008, where Nigeria earned four gold, four silver, and one bronze medal.
However, Nigeria’s performance at the London 2012 Paralympics showed improvement, as the team won six gold, five silver, and two bronze medals, matching their impressive medal tally from the Sydney 2000 Paralympics. The 2016 Rio Paralympics remains Nigeria’s best showing, with the country earning eight gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.
At Tokyo 2020, the team was unable to maintain the momentum from Rio, earning just four gold, one silver, and five bronze medals. The two gold medals earned at Paris 2024 mark the country’s lowest gold medal count since their Paralympics debut in Barcelona 1992, underscoring a significant decline in performance.
The 2024 Paralympics has been a challenging tournament for Team Nigeria, and their seven-medal haul, though hard-fought, is a far cry from the heights they have reached in previous years.