In 2024, eleven (11) Nigerian men ran 10.20s or faster in the 100m. A big number when weighed against the fact that the only countries to boast of better figures are the United States (49), Jamaica (26), and Great Britain (16).
Only two of those men – Favour Ashe (9.94s) and Godson Brume (9.99s), eventually broke 10 seconds (though not for the first time in their careers), with a couple more just on the verge of doing same. Here is a list of athletes that could break the barrier come 2025.
- Kayinsola Ajayi (PB – 10.00s)
Within a year, Kayinsola Ajayi made giant strides in Nigeria’s men’s 100m, arguably making a case for himself as the face of the event in 2024.
He had a fairly impressive season in 2023 and was a recipient of a student-athlete scholarship at the University of Auburn where he wasted no time making his mark. Ajayi stormed to GOLD in the men’s 60m at the SEC Indoor Championships in only his second appearance for the school, becoming the first freshman from the university to win the title in 24 years.
Outdoors, he displayed a remarkable flair for executing races when it mattered most. He secured qualification for the NCAA Championships in Oregon, claiming his first NCAA title in the 4x100m and then clocking a Personal Best (PB) of 10.01s to secure the 100m Bronze medal.
At the Nigerian Trials, Ajayi was the third fastest man at the competition, and against a heavily stacked field, he defied all odds to win his first national title in Benin, effectively securing him qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. In a short buildup to the Olympics, he set a new PB of 10.00s in Switzerland.
At the Olympic Games, he notably beat defending Olympic Champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs and although he exited in the semifinals, he had already left an indelible mark on the competition. With multiple close runs to breaking 10 seconds throughout the season, he will now have his sights firmly set on reaching the milestone in 2025.
2. Usheoritse Itsekiri (PB – 10.02s)
For a man who had come tantalizingly close to breaking the 10s barrier on multiple occasions, 2024 seemed destined to be the year for Usheoritse Itsekiri. Like many other Nigerian athletes, his first assignment of the year was at the African Games in Ghana.
He kicked off his season in very fine form, securing a Silver medal in the men’s 100m. However, his momentum was cut short when he sustained an injury in a bid to dethrone Ghana in the 4x100m relay, giving it his all and throwing himself across the finish line to get the job done – but it came at a price.
With it being an Olympic year, sitting out for too long was not an option. Just two months later, he was back at his base in Canada, winning races again. In fact, he remained largely undefeated during his buildup, collecting victories at a few World Athletics Continental Tour events.
At the Royal City Inferno Festival in June, Itsekiri blazed to a wind-aided 9.97s (2.1m/s) to win the men’s 100m final, just over the allowable wind limit of 2.0m/s, a performance he hoped to replicate at the Nigerian Championships in Benin, but settled for 3rd place. Despite the setback, he had done enough to earn a spot on the plane to Paris as part of the relay team for his second Olympic Games.
Perhaps an uninterrupted championship year such as 2025 will finally allow Itsekiri achieve his long-standing goal of breaking the 10s barrier in the 100m.
3. Seye Ogunlewe (PB – 10.03s)
For two consecutive years, Seye Ogunlewe has recorded two wind-aided sub-10s performances. While the conditions may not have been perfect for sprinting, there’s a saying that the body never forgets.
He kicked off his 2024 season casually in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, coming remarkably close to setting a new Personal Best (PB) in the 200m with a time of 20.67s. Ogunlewe then helped Nigeria qualify for the Paris Olympics in the 4x100m at the World Relays and set a PB of 20.61s in the 200m at his next meet in Germany, while also equalling his 100m SB.
As a seasoned veteran, Ogunlewe strung together an impressive series of races in Europe, consistently finishing top three before the Nigerian Athletics Championships in June, where he placed 4th in the men’s 100m final.
At the Résisprint International in La Chaux-de-Fonds, he equalled his 100m PB with a time of 10.03s and set his second 200m PB of the season at 20.45s. He was on a roll! Ogunlewe then went to Newham for his next meet, clocking remarkable times of 10.00s and 9.96s – both wind-aided – for a second-place finish in the 100m.
His first wind-aided sub-10 performance came in 2023 when he ran 9.97s at the Texas Invitational. His consistency and recent performances suggest that 2025 could be the year he finally breaks the elusive 10s barrier.
4. Alaba Akintola (PB – 10.04s)
Alaba Akintola, a standout sprinter in his college career at Middle Tennessee, transitioned from the NCAA circuit to professional competition in 2024. He kicked off his outdoor season at the African Games, where he finished 5th in the 200m and secured a GOLD medal as part of Nigeria’s victorious 4x100m relay team.
Later in the year, he represented Nigeria at the World Relays in the Bahamas, where the men’s 4x100m team successfully qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games.
One of the highlights of the season was when he clocked an SB of 10.08s to win the men’s 100m final at the Last Chance Qualifier in Georgia, beating Ronnie Baker who was 2nd in 10.14s, and Ameer Webb in 10.20s. He replicated the same performance over 200m on the same day.
He copped two second place finishes over 100m and 200m at the Nigerian Athletics Championships and continued to impress, making the final of the 200m at the African Championships and helping Nigeria secure a Silver medal in the 4x100m relay. Known for his efficient bend running, Akintola’s skills in the relay team earned him a place on Nigeria’s roster for the Paris Olympics, his first-ever Olympic selection.
On this trajectory, Akintola is high on the list of Nigerians that could break the 10s barrier in 2025.
5. Consider Ekanem (PB – 10.10s)
Consider Ekanem emerged as one of Nigeria’s most promising sprint talents, making an early impression at the Dynamic Athletics Meet in Lagos, where he clinched wins in both the 60m and 100m, setting new PBs of 6.70s and 10.10s respectively.
At the African Games Trials in Asaba, he beat the gun and was disqualified in the 100m final, a disappointing outcome which he made up for in the 200m where he stormed to a new PB of 20.43s, the fourth fastest time ever run by a Nigerian man on home soil.
Ekanem’s performances earned him a spot at the African Games in Ghana where he reached the finals of both the 100m and 200m, capturing a Bronze in the 200m – his first international medal for Nigeria. Additionally, he played a crucial role in Nigeria’s 4x100m relay team, winning GOLD and helping the team qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics at the World Relays in the Bahamas.
He was having a jolly ride until he picked up an injury at the MoC Grand Prix in Lagos where he finished an unusual 6th place in the 100m. With the Nigerian Olympic Trials only two weeks away, he entered into another race against time for some fitness and managed to make the final of both events in Benin, finishing 7th over 100m and a very respectable 3rd in the 200m.
2025 could see him upstage some of Nigeria’s biggest names in the sprints and even break 10s over 100m.
6. Sunday Israel Okon (PB – 10.12s)
Sunday Israel Okon opened up the year with an impressive victory in the men’s 100m final at the African Games Trials in Asaba. He defeated a quality field, emerging victorious with a new Personal Best (PB) of 10.20s and followed this up with another PB of 20.87s in the 200m.
This commanding win immediately placed him in the spotlight and set the tone for the rest of the season. He secured a berth to represent Nigeria at the African Games where he narrowly missed making the final of the 100m. Despite this, Okon was instrumental in Nigeria’s success, leading off the men’s 4x100m relay team that went on to win GOLD.
In June, he equalled his 100m PB at the MoC Grand Prix and was again selected to compete at the CAA Region II Championships in Ghana. This time, he survived a disqualification scare, went on to run a new PB of 10.12s and won Silver!
At the Nigerian Athletics Championships in Benin, he finished 6th in the men’s 100m final and pulled a huge surprise in the 200m, where he ran a new PB of 20.80s to win the national title, beating his more experienced counterparts.
Israel Okon was one of the most improved sprinters in Nigeria in 2024, setting six PBs and with him entering a new phase of his career at the University of Auburn, you wouldn’t put a sub-10s 100m run too far away from him.
