President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Tonobok Okowa has expressed optimism about the progress of Nigerian athletes in long-distance races, predicting that they will soon be counted among Africa’s best.

Traditionally dominated by East African nations, long-distance running has seen Nigerian athletes begin to show promise in recent years.

Okowa highlighted recent achievements as signs of significant improvement in the country’s performance.

Notably, Team Nigeria’s Edose Ibadin represented the country in the 800m at the recently concluded Paris Olympics.

In another breakthrough, Francis James won the 2024 edition of the Abeokuta 10km race — the first time a Nigerian has triumphed in the event, which had previously been dominated by foreign runners.

“Our long-distance athletes are doing well, achieving personal bests, which means they are doing something extraordinary,” Okowa said.

He further noted success at the junior level, citing a Nigerian athlete who finished fifth at a recent African junior championship in Zambia.

“It’s progress to reach that level, as they have never achieved such a feat before,” Okowa added, expressing confidence that Nigerian long-distance runners are on the path to further success.