Athletics Federation of Nigeria president Tonobok Okowa has applauded President Bola Tinubu for the financial backing that powered Nigeria’s relay teams to a successful qualification campaign for the World Athletics Championships.

Speaking after the World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, where Nigeria secured multiple tickets for the global showpiece, Okowa said the timely release of funds by the Federal Government was decisive in the country’s performance.

He credited the Presidency and key sports administrators for ensuring that the athletes arrived early in Botswana and enjoyed stable preparations, a luxury Nigerian teams have often lacked in the past.

“I give thanks to President Bola Tinubu, the NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko and the Director General Bukola Olopade for making it possible for us to travel in good time,” Okowa said, stressing that the federation did not have to scramble for last-minute logistics.

Okowa reserved special praise for Tinubu, insisting that the president’s intervention directly translated into results on the track. “Specifically, I thank President Tinubu for making funds available for us to travel, and we have come out well,” he added.

The Nigerian contingent spent about two weeks in Botswana fine-tuning baton exchanges and race strategies. That extended camp, Okowa explained, underpinned the team’s ability to qualify across the relay events and compete strongly against Africa’s leading sprint nations.

Among the standout performances was the mixed 4x400m relay, where Samson Nathaniel, Mary Kudoro, Chidi Okezie and Patience Okon-George clocked a season’s best 3:12.88 to finish behind South Africa and secure a World Championships slot. The women’s 4x100m squad of Rosemary Nwankwo, Obi Chukwuka, Maria Thompson-Omokwe and Miracle Ezechukwu also recovered from earlier baton mishaps to post 42.94 seconds, another season’s best that sealed qualification.

Not every event went Nigeria’s way, with the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m teams narrowly missing out and the women’s 4x400m skipping the repechage. Yet Okowa insisted the broader picture was encouraging, particularly the emergence of home-based talents.

He highlighted the impact of teenage athletes, some still in secondary school, who held their own on the international stage. “The athletes, especially those home based, did very well. Among them are girls who are still in secondary school, and it shows clearly that the future of athletics in Nigeria will be bright,” he said.

Okowa concluded by saluting the collective effort behind the campaign. “I want to thank all the athletes and coaches who worked seriously to ensure that we are celebrating today,” he noted, framing Gaborone as both a breakthrough and a foundation for Nigeria’s relay ambitions.