Team Nigeria’s impressive performance at the Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games was the product of meticulous planning and improved athlete welfare, according to Deputy Chef-de-Mission Yussuf Amuda Alli.
Alli, who also serves as CEO of the National Sports Commission’s Elite and Podium Board, praised the leadership of NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director General Bukola Olopade for implementing a “people-first” strategy that transformed the athletes’ morale and output.
He said the Commission prioritised comfort, motivation and financial stability throughout the Games — from creating a conducive camp environment to ensuring prompt payment of allowances and bonuses. A new instant reward system for medal winners, he added, injected fresh competitiveness and commitment into the team.
“The moment you win a gold medal, you get $1,000; silver medalists get $500, bronze medalists $300. Camp allowances and other incentives were promptly paid, and that was why Team Nigeria’s participation at the Games was rancour-free,” Alli noted.
Nigeria went on to deliver its best-ever outing at the Islamic Solidarity Games, winning 30 medals — eleven gold, twelve silver and seven bronze — from only 34 athletes.
Weightlifting led the charge with six gold, four silver and three bronze medals, followed by athletics with two gold, four silver and three bronze. Wrestling added two gold and two silver medals, while powerlifting won one gold. Boxing secured one silver, para athletics one silver, and taekwondo one bronze.
The historic feat represented a dramatic turnaround for Nigeria. The country failed to win any medal at its debut in Mecca in 2005, while the second edition in Tehran was cancelled. Nigeria returned empty-handed from Palembang 2013, before collecting six medals in Baku 2017 and five medals in Konya 2021.
Alli, a former international athlete and team captain, said the new welfare system has permanently addressed a long-standing challenge.
“The issue of athletes complaining about bonuses, allowances and rewards has been banished forever. The Chairman and the DG’s ‘Athlete First’ policy is one of the best developments in our sports in recent years,” he said.
Looking ahead, Alli expressed confidence that Nigeria will build on the Riyadh momentum as preparations intensify for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
“Already, I have sat down with the Chairman and the DG, and we have outlined plans that will ensure we succeed at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Execution has already started, and I am confidently assuring Nigerians that our participation in Glasgow will be our best ever,” he concluded.
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