by Reuben Adewale
Favour Ofili is one of Nigeria’s finest and gleaming athletes. Born in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, in December 2002, she has shown determination and drive throughout her career as a track and field sprinter.
Also known as Star Girl, Favour Ofili has always gleamed with strength and light. From earning a scholarship at Louisiana State University to achieving numerous accolades as an athlete, her accomplishments include winning the 2019 African Games silver medal in the 400 meters and becoming the 2021 World Under-20 Championship bronze medalist in the 200 meters with a time of 21.96 seconds. This feat made her the first Nigerian woman in history to break the 22-second barrier and the second African woman to achieve this.
At just 16, Favour Ofili represented Nigeria at the World Relays in Yokohama, running in the 4×100 meter and 4×400 meter relays. She was named female athlete of the meet after winning the 200 and 400 meters at the African Under 18 Championship. Her medal record includes gold in the 2018 Algiers 400-meter game at the African Youth Games, two golds at the African Youth Championships in the 200 and 400-meter races in Abidjan in 2019, and more.
Favour Ofili’s achievements also include winning gold in the women’s 4×400 meters relay at the African Games, bronze in the 200 meters at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, and gold in the 4×400 meters relay at the World U20 Championship in Nairobi. Additionally, she won two bronze medals for relays at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi.
In 2022, she achieved the 200-meter record in 21.96 seconds at the NCAA Tom Jones Memorial, making her the second-fastest African woman ever. She also set the African indoor record in the 200 meters with a time of 22.75 seconds at the SEC Indoor Championship game. Furthermore, she won the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medal in the 200 meters, showcasing her brilliance on the track field.
Favour Ofili became a national champion, defeating Olayinka Olajide and Justina Eyakpobeyan by 11.06 seconds, winning the 100m National title in Benin (2024), qualifying her for the 2024 Olympics, making her way to represent the country, Nigeria in the Paris Olympics games in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×100 meters. We are looking forward to her triumph in the 2024 Olympics.
