Nigeria

Highlights

Nigeria beat Argentina to win the gold medal in football at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

This was the first time a team from Africa had won this tournament. At Beijing 2008 Nigeria again reached the final but this time they lost 1-0 to Argentina.

Chioma AJUNWA was the first Nigerian to win an individual gold. She won the long jump at the Atlanta Games. She was born on Christmas Day 1971.

A nine-man team first represented Nigeria at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.

All their competitors took part in athletics, although Nigerian-born Prince Adegboyega Folaranmi ADEDOYIN finished fifth in the men's long jump at the London 1948 Olympic Games representing Great Britain.

Since then athletics, boxing and football have proved Nigeria's leading sports. Boxer Nojan MAIYEGUN was Nigeria's first medallist. He claimed a bronze in light middleweight at the Tokyo 1964 Games.

Isaac IKHOURIA took bronze in the men's light heavyweight division at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

On the track, Nigerian relay teams have done well. The men's 4x400m squad collected bronze in Los Angeles in 1984 and the 4x100m relay silver in 1992.

The first women to claim a medal for Nigeria were the 4x100m relay quartet in 1992. Mary ONYALI claimed individual 200m bronze at Atlanta in 1996. She competed in five consecutive Games from 1988 to 2004.

Falilat OGUNKOYA took the 400m bronze at Atlanta 1996 and was also part of the 4x400m relay team that took silver at the same Games.

The men's 4x400m relay squad claimed silver at Sydney 2000 and the Nigerian men took bronze in both relays in Athens in 2004.

The women earned a bronze in the 4x100m relay in Beijing in 2008. In Sydney in 2000, Glory ALOZIE took silver in the women's 100m hurdles but subsequently took Spanish citizenship.

Nigeria's other medal came in women's heavyweight weightlifting at the Sydney 2000 Games, a silver to Ruth OGBEIFO.

Anthem: Title

Arise Oh Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey.

Anthem: Year of Induction

1978

Anthem: Composer

Music B. Elide ODIASE, words John A. ILECHUKWU, Eme Etim AKPAN, B. A. OGUNNAIKE, S. OMOIGUI and P. O. ADERIBIGBE.

Official NOC name

Nigeria

IOC recognition date

1951

NOC President's name

Mr Sani NDANUSA

NOC General Secretary's name

Mr Tunde POPOOLA

IOC Member's Name

Mr Habu GUMEL

Year of first appearance in an Olympic Games

1952

Number of appearances in Olympic Games

15, including London 2012

Summary of Olympic Games Appearances