Nigerian Weightlifting President Hails Support After Record-Breaking Year

President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Dr Ibrahim Alaid Abdul, has expressed profound gratitude to the National Sports Commission (NSC), the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), and all stakeholders for their exceptional support during a hugely successful 2025.

In his New Year’s message, Dr Abdul highlighted the federation’s unprecedented medal haul, amassing a remarkable 49 gold, 14 silver, and 7 bronze medals across seven regional, continental, and global competitions.

Key achievements in 2025 included: Topping the medal table at the Senior African Weightlifting Championships in Mauritius with 10 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze; Youth and Junior Success: Securing 9 gold medals at the Africa Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship in Ghana and Commonwealth Dominance: Winning 4 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship in India.

Regional Triumph: Earning 9 gold medals at the Zone 2 West Africa Games in Burkina Faso; Global Recognition: A silver medal at the Senior World Weightlifting Championship in Norway; Islamic Games Haul: 6 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze at the 6th Islamic Games in Saudi Arabia and Youth Games Victory: 11 gold and 1 silver at the 4th Africa Youth Games in Angola.

Dr Abdul also noted the successful hosting of a 10-day capacity building programme for 22 athletes and 8 coaches, coordinated by Austrian expert Maged Salama.

Furthermore, the NWF conducted what was described as the country’s “freest, most peaceful sports federation election,” which saw Dr Abdul re-elected for another four-year term.

“The year 2025 was a good one for us… we invested a lot and had good rewards,” Dr Abdul stated. “The success stories… are products of the immense support the federation received.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Dr Abdul affirmed the federation’s ambition to “conquer the world,” promising to unveil their activity plan in the coming days.