The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has opened the door to an investigation following reports that sprinter Favour Ashe has allegedly switched allegiance to Qatar, a development that could deepen concerns about the steady drift of Nigerian track stars abroad.
News of the 23-year-old’s purported move surfaced online on Sunday, just days after he spoke glowingly about a Qatari-backed training camp in South Africa. Though no formal confirmation has been made, the speculations have been loud enough to stir unease within Nigerian athletics circles.
If confirmed, Ashe would become the second prominent Nigerian athlete in recent times to initiate a nationality switch after Favour Ofili, the 150m world record holder, was reported to have begun a similar process in 2025.
Ashe is said to have spent the past five months in Qatar following a turbulent 2025 campaign. One of the low points came at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, where he was disqualified in the 100m final, a bitter end to what had already been a frustrating season.
In comments published by The Guardian Nigeria, Ashe praised the level of organisation and welfare available abroad.
“The Qatar federation is taking us to South Africa to begin our season there. This is something Nigeria will never do,” Ashe was quoted as saying.
“There are many young Nigerians in the Qatari team training for the Olympics and they are well catered for.
“Those who have the opportunity to leave are not looking back; soon Nigeria will be hit by an exodus of athletes. Some are even ready to run for other African countries that can offer them good compensation and opportunities to compete all year round in events that appeal to them.”
His remarks have added fuel to a long-running debate about athlete welfare, funding and long-term planning in Nigerian sport.
Enquiries have been made to World Athletics to verify the status of Ashe’s application, according to Punch. However, the global governing body does not disclose the identity of athletes whose transfer requests are still under review.
Responding to the development, AFN President Tonobok Okowa said the federation had not received any official communication regarding Ashe’s alleged switch but promised to look into the matter.
“I don’t know either. I just saw the news as well, but we will investigate that beginning tomorrow (Monday),” Okowa told Punch.
Under World Athletics regulations, any athlete seeking to represent a new country must observe a mandatory three-year waiting period before competing in national championships for their adopted federation.
Ashe’s possible departure would mark a significant moment for Nigerian sprinting. In 2022, he ran a wind-assisted 9.79 seconds in a 100m heat at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, the fastest time ever recorded by a Nigerian in all conditions. He followed that up in June 2023 with a personal best of 9.96 seconds at the NCAA Championships in Texas.
In May 2024, he clocked 9.94 seconds at the NCAA East Regional Finals in Lexington, Kentucky, becoming the first Nigerian sprinter to break the 10-second barrier five times across three consecutive years.
He later finished runner-up in the 100m at the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, posting 9.99 seconds in the final.
