Nigeria closed out a highly competitive African Athletics Championships with a haul of 12 medals, capped by a dominant victory in the women’s 4x400m relay that underlined the country’s enduring strength in the sprints and relays.

The quartet of Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Jecinter Lawrence and veteran quarter-miler Patience Okon-George produced a commanding performance in the final, storming to gold in 3:29.25. Nigeria led from the gun and never looked threatened, pulling almost 30 metres clear of Ethiopia and Kenya by the finish to successfully defend their continental title in the event.

That triumph delivered Nigeria’s fourth gold medal of the championships and confirmed a final tally of four gold, five silver and three bronze medals, placing the team fourth on the overall table behind Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia. Kenya topped the standings with 17 medals, including six gold, while South Africa matched that gold count and Ethiopia followed closely with five titles.

On the final day, sprinter Rosemary Chukwuma added a silver medal in the women’s 200m, clocking 23.60 seconds behind Ivory Coast’s Maboundou Kone, who took gold in 23.36. Chukwuma emerged as one of Nigeria’s standout athletes of the meet, finishing with three medals after earlier anchoring the women’s 4x100m relay to gold and taking silver in the 100m.

World record holder Tobi Amusan provided one of the headline performances of the championships for Nigeria, powering to gold in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.83 seconds. Her victory reinforced Nigeria’s pedigree in the hurdles and set the tone for the relay successes that followed.

The mixed 4x400m relay team of Ezekiel Asuquo, Toheebat Jimoh, Victor Sampson and Patience Okon-George also struck gold, winning in 3:16.44, while the women’s 4x100m squad of Rosemary Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka, Rosemary Chukwuma and Miracle Ezechukwu claimed another title in 42.94.

In the field events, Oyesade Olatoye earned silver in the women’s hammer throw with a best mark of 69.60m, and Divine Oladipo added another silver in the discus. Nigeria’s men’s 4x100m relay team secured silver in 38.70, underlining the country’s depth in sprinting.

Bronze medals came from Adaobi Tabugbo in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.26, Chidera Ezeakor in the men’s 100m in 10.31, and Obiageri Amaechi in the throws on the opening day, rounding off a solid continental campaign for Team Nigeria.