The Nigerian Senior National Championships, one of the most important events in the country’s athletics calendar, doubled as a key step in the selection process for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships. For Team MTN, it was a chance to see if their young talents, most of them products of the MTN CHAMPS grassroots program, could hold their own against the nation’s elite.

Nine athletes represented Team MTN at the championships, which took place at the YabaTech Sports Complex in Lagos. For all of them, it was their first appearance at this level, and six are still in the U20 category. They competed against seasoned senior and foreign-based Nigerian athletes, delivering performances that underlined both their potential and the importance of sustained development in sport.

In the men’s 400m, Ezekiel Asuquo ran a blistering 46.29 seconds to take silver. The medal was Team MTN’s first ever at the Senior Nationals, and it came in one of the most competitive events on the track. Asuquo’s achievement was made even more remarkable by the fact that he has only been part of the MoC Academy under MTN sponsorship for a year. His performance earned him, alongside teammate Benjamin Magaji, a first call-up to Nigeria’s Senior Team B for the World Championships qualification attempt, keeping them firmly in the frame for potential 2025 World Athletics Championships selection.

Magaji had a strong showing of his own, reaching the men’s 400m final after winning his heat in 47.89 seconds and improving to 47.55 seconds in the semi-finals. He finished fifth in the final, gaining invaluable experience in the process. A team official described the result as proof that the development pathway for these young athletes is working.

In the women’s 400m, Toheebat Jimoh clocked 53.68 seconds in her heat, while Miracle Donald posted 54.33 seconds, both times good enough to secure spots in the final. Both athletes had to withdraw due to health and injury precautions, a reminder of the fine margins at this level.

The sprints also brought encouraging results. In the women’s 100m, Lucy Nwankwo advanced to the semi-finals with a wind-aided 11.70 seconds, while Azeezat Muhammed-Raji broke the 12-second barrier for the first time, clocking 11.83 seconds in her repechage heat after an earlier wind-aided 11.73 seconds. For Muhammed-Raji, the personal best was a breakthrough moment in her career.

The men’s 400m squad saw two more semi-finalists in Stephen Adejumo and Prosper Ushie. Adejumo ran 48.53 seconds in his heat before improving to 48.21 in the semi-finals, while Ushie ran 49.04 seconds in his heat and 49.07 in the semi-final. In the men’s 100m, Showers Ushie finished third in his heat in 10.63 seconds.

By the end of the competition, Team MTN’s tally stood at one national silver medallist, two senior team debutants, three national finalists and four national semi-finalists. More than the numbers, the meet demonstrated how quickly MTN CHAMPS is transitioning athletes from grassroots competitions to national prominence. Launched to give promising athletes access to structured competition, coaching and exposure, MTN CHAMPS has rapidly become a proving ground for Nigeria’s next generation of track and field stars. In less than a year, it has produced athletes who are not just qualifying for national championships, but winning medals and earning international call-ups.

For a group that started the year competing in local meets, the prospect of representing Nigeria in the World Athletics Championships qualification year shows just how far they have come and how much further they can still go.