We recently shared Part 1 (10-6) of our annual series on Nigeria’s Top 10 Male Athletes of the year. Part 2 highlights the Top 5 athletes on our list whose rankings are based on their season’s performance, medals won, records set, as well as their level of consistency in 2024. Let’s take a closer look at Nos. 5 – 1 of Nigeria’s Top 10 Male Athletes in 2024.
5. Chinecherem Nnamdi
Nigeria’s Javelin star, Chinecherem Nnamdi, had an unforgettable 2024. He became the fourth Nigerian man to win an African Games title in the Javelin throw, joining greats Anthony Oyakhire (1965), Christian Okemefula (1991), and Pius Bazighe (1995). Nnamdi won the GOLD in grand style by not just defeating the defending champion and former World Champion, Julius Yego, but also breaking his own National Record (NR) with an impressive 82.80m throw—his new Personal Best (PB). This made him the first Nigerian man to throw over 82m, a mark he secured in his very first attempt of the day.
In May, Nnamdi nailed a big 80.02m throw on his final attempt to win GOLD at the Big 12 Championships in Waco, Texas. It was his third straight win since 2022. He paced himself well, taking just three throws to get the victory. He also got his second best throw of the season, 82.54m to win the NCAA West Qualifiers, but narrowly missed a medal at the NCAA Championships with a 4th place finish.
Later at the African Championships in Douala, Nnamdi secured a stunning Silver with a 79.22m throw, just behind Yego (80.24m). He made his Olympic debut in Paris, competing in the group stage, and will be aiming for a better performance in subsequent global outings.
4. Kayinsola Ajayi
Kayinsola Ajayi is living the dream he had as a child, and his athletic journey in 2024 has been nothing short of extraordinary. He kicked off with a strong indoor season, winning GOLD in the men’s 60m at the SEC Championships in February, and his indoor success quickly led to a breakout outdoor season.
At the NCAA Championships in June, Ajayi improved his lifetime best to 10.01s to win Bronze in the 100m final, and also helped his team win GOLD the 4x100m relay with a blistering 38.03s. In June, he returned to Nigeria for the Olympic Trials and stormed to victory with 10.14s, securing his first national title which earned him a place at the African Championships where he settled for fourth, and then anchored the men’s 4x100m team to a Silver medal.
Ajayi hit a major milestone at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Meet in Luzern, racing to a PB of 10.00s. At the Paris Olympics, he made an unforgettable debut when he stunned defending champion Marcell Jacobs to win his heat in 10.02s and made it to the semis of the Games. He also featured in the men’s 4x100m in Paris.
3. Ezekiel Nathaniel
Nathaniel kicked off the year in the indoor arenas, making an immediate impact. At the Corky Classic in January, he broke the 5-year-old NCAA 600-yard record of 1:07.67s formerly held by Roshon Roomes to win the event in 1:07.44s ahead of LSU’s Sean Burrell (1:08.23s).
When outdoor season arrived, Nathaniel was ready to take on tougher competition. In April 2024 while competing at the Tom Jones Invitational in Florida, Ezekiel Nathaniel outdid himself by racing to a new Personal Best (PB), National Record and School Record, clocking an impressive 48.29s to earn automatic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The following month, he made waves at the Big 12 Championships where he clinched the 400m hurdles title with a stunning lifetime best and Nigerian Record of 48.00s, which was also a Meet Record and Facility Record.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nathaniel ran 48.38s to place 2nd in his heat and advance to the semifinals, becoming the first Nigerian athlete in 12 years to reach the semifinals of the 400m hurdles at the Olympics.
2. Samuel Ogazi
Samuel Ogazi showed his immense potential in 2024 and kicked off the outdoor season with a Personal Best (PB) of 45.35s in Baton Rouge, then improved it to 45.29s at the Tom Jones Invitational. Ogazi also played a key role in helping Nigeria’s mixed 4x400m relay team qualify for the Paris Olympics, clocking 3:12.87 at the World Relays in The Bahamas.
At the SEC Outdoor Championships, Ogazi stunned everyone by running 44.58s, a PB that made him the fastest Nigerian male quartermiler in 37 years, moving him to 2nd on the all-time list and securing his Olympic spot. He also became the first Nigerian to run a sub-45s since Orukpe Erayokan in 2015.
Ogazi continued to impress, winning the NCAA East Regionals in a new PB of 44.53s, which earned him a spot in the Outdoor NCAA Championships where he won the Silver medal in 44.52s. At his maiden outing at the African Championships in Douala, he claimed Bronze in the men’s 400m.
The Paris Olympics was his biggest test, but Ogazi rose to the occasion. He raced to 2nd place with a lifetime best of 44.50s to qualify for the semis. In the semis, he improved again, running 44.41s to finish 3rd and secure a spot in the final. Ogazi became the first Nigerian male to reach an Olympic 400m final in 36 years, finishing 7th in one of the greatest 400m races in Olympic history.
1. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi
Our No.1 Nigerian Male Athlete of the Year is none other than the continent’s best Shot put thrower for nearly a decade, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, or ‘Big Chuks’ as he’s fondly called, who has been one of the country’s most formidable representatives on the global scene.
Enekwechi had a very busy indoor season, competing in five meetings before participating at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow where he placed 6th with a best effort of 21.60m. He made his second appearance at the African Games where he successfully defended his title with a throw of 21.06m. He threw a big Season’s Best of 21.78m at the USATF Grand Prix in 3rd place, and then bounded to a new Personal Best (PB) and National Record (NR) of 21.91m at the Prefontaine Classic, finishing 3rd and taking him to No.2 on the African all-time list.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games Silver medallist claimed his fourth consecutive National Shot put title with a 21.37m throw at the Nigerian Trials in Benin. This win marked his fifth National title, having first won GOLD in 2016. At the 2024 African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, Enekwechi made it a hat trick of titles, extending his dominance in Africa.
Competing in his second Olympic Games, Enekwechi was the only African who qualified for the final where he finished 6th with his best throw of 21.42m, a massive improvement from his 12th position from the Tokyo Games and his best finish in a major international competition.
