Team Nigeria set for glory as Africa marches to Riyadh for 2025 Solidarity Games

By Maxwell Kumoye

Team Nigeria is set to make a bold statement on the global stage as 27 African countries storm Riyadh for the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games, a festival of unity, and fierce competition.

With a 46-member delegation of 35 athletes and 11 officials, Nigeria joins 26 other African nations in a battle for medals across 21 sports in nine buzzing venues from November 7 to 21.

For Nigeria, this is more than a tournament. It’s a mission.

According to Honourable Bukola Olopade, Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), the Games are part of Nigeria’s grand strategy for global sports dominance ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“The Islamic Solidarity Games represent a great opportunity for Nigeria to showcase our talent on the global stage,” Olopade declared. “This is a stepping stone toward Los Angeles 2028 and our athletes are ready to shine.”

Nigeria’s athletes will compete in seven sports with athletics has the lion share. The sports are; Athletics, Boxing, Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling with boxing leading the early medal chase.

Beyond the medals, the NSC is using the Games as a testing ground for logistics and organizational excellence ahead of the 2026 National Sports Festival, ensuring Nigeria remains a continental powerhouse both on and off the field.

To date, Nigeria has won 11 medals at the Islamic Solidarity Games, including 3 gold, 6 silver, and 2 bronze medals.

Elsewhere, Algeria arrives in Riyadh with the largest African contingent with 117 athletes while Egypt follows closely with 101 and Mali will be represented by just 2 athletes out of the 844 from Africa.

Nigeria’s neighbours Benin Republic, Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic will all be participating at the Games; Cameron’s 51 man team is the biggest among them.

Morocco, never one to shy from the spotlight, has sent 82 athletes with a clear mission: to build on its stellar 2022 performance in Konya, Türkiye, where it bagged 15 gold, 13 silver, and 34 bronze medals.

At a rousing send-off on October 26, Morocco’s Olympic Committee charged its stars to “chase excellence, embody unity, and bring home the glory.”

In total, 3,500 athletes from 57 nations will light up Riyadh, competing in 21 sports and three para event, a celebration of shared unity, friendship, and fierce athletic pride.

From the mat to the track, from the ring to the roar of the crowd, Africa is ready to make its mark. And for Team Nigeria, the Solidarity Games aren’t just another contest; they’re the beginning of a new Olympic dream.

Riyadh awaits. Nigeria is ready.

All 57 members of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation will be present at the Games.

PARTICIPATING NATIONAL COMMITTEES – AFRICA

Algeria – 117
Benin – 7
Burkina Faso – 17
Cameroon – 51
Chad – 6
Comoros – 6
Côte d’Ivoire – 28
Djibouti – 17
Egypt – 101
Gabon – 9
The Gambia – 16
Guinea – 31
Guinea-Bissau – 4
Libya – 46
Mali – 2
Mauritania – 11
Morocco – 82
Mozambique – 8
Niger – 30
Nigeria – 35
Senegal – 23
Sierra Leone – 45
Somalia – 6
Sudan – 27
Togo – 10
Tunisia – 51
Uganda – 59

Number of athletes 844

Ogun State Police Command To Arraign Three Arrested Bisexual Suspects In Court

Ogun State Police Command is considering charges against three suspected same-sex perpetrators, Adebisi Ayinde and two others, Ifeanyi Okoro and Solomon Omoh (all male), arrested in Akute, a community in Ifo local government area in Ogun State, on 23 April 2024 on account of their alleged homosexuality, the latest example of the country’s tough stance against gay community.

In 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan signed the same-sex marriage prohibition bill, forbidding marriage by same sex, same-sex cohabitation, and any “public show of same-sex amorous relationship.”

After conducting an investigation, the Police discovered that they have not yet located another accomplice in the case, a male named Idris Idowu, who is at large, according to Adebisi Ayinde’s confessional statement to the Police.

For this reason, they have decided to charge the three to court.
According to a Police inquiry, “Adebisi Ayinde” has been on the Police wanted list for many years due to allegations of same-sex sexual activity. Idris Idowu, who resides at 14 Abiola Crescent off Alagbado, Lagos, but has taken to his heels, is his accomplice.

“We have carefully profiled them to determine those who are culpable before charging them to court in accordance with the law,” said Ogun State Police spokesperson Omolola Odutola, adding that “some of them were said to be known to the residents as homosexuals, and they were taken into custody for further investigation.”

The investigation has raised significant concerns within the community, as residents grapple with the implications of the arrests. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward, emphasizing the importance of public cooperation in ensuring safety and justice.