Seventeen-year-old Abdul Jabar Adama has written his name into Nigerian sporting history after winning silver in the boys’ 50m butterfly at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania. His 23.64 finish secured Nigeria’s first-ever medal at the junior worlds.
Adama’s journey to the podium saw him repeatedly lower the Nigerian record. He swam 23.61 in the heats, then 23.48 in the semifinal, breaking his own previous mark of 23.81 set earlier this year. In the final, he was narrowly beaten by Britain’s Dean Fearn (23.54), while Czech swimmer Jan Foltyn took bronze (23.65).
The Mount Kelly–based teenager has been in fine form this year, having already claimed three gold medals and one bronze while setting multiple records at the Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Cairo. In Romania, he credited his training environment, coaching, and inspiration from Olympic champion Cullen Jones as key to his success.
Adama’s medal is a milestone for Nigerian swimming, marking the nation’s arrival on the global stage. With sprint 50m events set to join the Olympic programme at Los Angeles 2028, the young swimmer’s breakthrough could be the beginning of even greater achievements.
