Nigeria’s junior swim team has departed for Bucharest, Romania, to take part in the World Aquatics Junior Championships, which will run from 19 to 25 August 2025. The six athletes competing have undergone intensive training for two weeks in Lagos and the UK prior to their departure, poised to represent the nation with renewed determination.
The team is led by Nigeria’s rising swimming star, Abduljabar Adama, whose remarkable performances at the 16th Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Cairo earlier this year captured the attention of the continent. Adama clinched three gold medals and one bronze, setting a new African junior record in the 50m freestyle and breaking the championship record in the 50m butterfly. His achievements earned him the title of Best Male Swimmer of the Tournament, positioning him as one of Africa’s most promising talents in the sport.
Adama is accompanied by a talented group of young swimmers: Akindele Ayobami, Akinsanmi Omotola, Dumeji-Abili Aidan, Nnaji Angelo, and Obatoyinbo Kashope, with Omolola Akindele as the only female member of the team. Together, they embody the promise of a new generation of Nigerian athletes ready to assert themselves on the global stage.
The delegation is headed by the President of the Nigeria Aquatic Federation (NAF), Chief Mrs. Chinonye Daphey-Aliyu, who expressed confidence in the team’s potential. She described the World Championships as “an opportunity for our young athletes to express themselves, test their abilities against the best in the world, and seek qualification for the Youth Olympic Games while earning valuable ranking points at the international level, essential for their development into world champions.”
Beyond the quest for medals, Nigeria’s participation represents a vital step towards re-establishing swimming as a premier sport in the country, bolstered by growing institutional support from the National Sports Commission’s Elite Athletes and Podium Programme. Following his success in Cairo, Adama was inducted into this programme and awarded ₦5 million by the NSC, underscoring the government’s commitment to investing in youth development and enhancing international competitiveness.
As the countdown begins in Bucharest, all eyes will be on Abduljabar Adama and his teammates as they strive to replicate their continental success on the world stage and inspire a new wave of swimmers back home.
