Nigeria will parade a formidable blend of established stars and emerging talents at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, with former world record holder Tobi Amusan, sprint sensation Kayinsola Ajayi and Udodi Onwuzurike among the athletes expected to lead the country’s challenge.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) confirmed the Nigerian contingent in a statement signed by the Chairman of its media committee, Maxwell Kumoye, ahead of the groundbreaking competition scheduled for September 11 to 13, 2026 at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest.
The championship, the first of its kind organised by World Athletics, is designed to bring together the best performers in global athletics, including Olympic and world champions, Diamond League winners and the leading athletes of the 2026 season, in a three-day battle to determine the sport’s ultimate champions.
Amusan will carry Nigeria’s hopes in the women’s 100m hurdles, where she will face a field featuring some of the world’s leading hurdlers.
The former world record holder remains one of Nigeria’s most decorated track athletes and will be looking to produce another strong performance on one of the biggest stages of the athletics season.
She is also listed as part of Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m relay team, giving the country another opportunity to challenge for honours in the innovative event.
Joining Amusan in the mixed relay squad are Alaba Akintola, Favour Ashe, Miracle Ezechukwu, Udodi Onwuzurike and Rosemary Nwankwo.
Nigeria is one of only six nations to qualify for the inaugural mixed 4x100m final after reaching the final of the event at the 2026 World Athletics Relays. The other qualified countries are Canada, Germany, Jamaica, Spain and the United States.
Ajayi will lead Nigeria’s challenge in the men’s 100m after establishing himself as one of the fastest sprinters in the world this season.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable 2026 campaign, recording a personal best of 9.72 seconds, although the performance was wind-assisted and therefore not legal for record purposes. He also posted a Nigerian record-equalling 9.84 seconds and currently sits fourth in the World Athletics world rankings for the men’s 100m.
His selection gives Nigeria a genuine contender in one of the championship’s headline events, with the men’s 100m scheduled for Saturday, September 12.
Favour Ashe, another of Nigeria’s leading sprinters, will also feature in the mixed 4x100m relay as the country seeks to make an impression against the world’s elite.
Onwuzurike will compete in the men’s 200m and also form part of Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m relay quartet.
The American-based sprinter has continued to establish himself among Nigeria’s leading young talents and will be seeking a strong performance against an elite field in Budapest.
Ella Onojuwvevwo will represent Nigeria in the women’s 400m, while Ezekiel Nathaniel will compete in the men’s 400m hurdles.
Nathaniel has emerged as one of the country’s most promising quarter-milers over the barriers and will have the opportunity to test himself against the strongest opposition assembled for the new championship.
World Athletics previously identified Amusan, Nathaniel, Samuel Ogazi, Onojuwvevwo and Ajayi among Nigeria’s qualified athletes, while the federation’s relay pool included Akintola, Onwuzurike, Ashe, Ezechukwu, Rosemary Chigozie and Jennifer Obi Chukwuka.
The Budapest event represents a major new addition to the global athletics calendar, with World Athletics describing it as a competition designed to settle the debate over who is the “best of the best”.
Unlike the traditional World Championships, the Ultimate Championship will operate over only three evening sessions, with athletes going straight into semi-finals and finals in most track events and straight finals in selected events.
The inaugural edition will feature 28 events involving 381 athletes from 65 federations, according to the final entry lists released by World Athletics on September 7.
The competition also comes with the biggest prize purse in track and field history, with $10 million available across the championships.
Individual event winners will receive $150,000, while relay champions will share an $80,000 prize. The organisers have also introduced a distinctive awards system, with no traditional medals to be presented. Instead, individual champions will receive specially designed trophies linked to personalised participation bracelets.
For Nigeria, the championship provides another opportunity for its leading athletes to measure themselves against the very best in the world at the end of a demanding season.
The presence of Amusan, Ajayi, Onwuzurike, Nathaniel and the other members of the Nigerian contingent gives the country a mixture of experience, proven international pedigree and emerging talent.
The mixed 4x100m relay could also provide one of Nigeria’s best opportunities for success, particularly given the country’s qualification alongside some of the strongest sprinting nations in the world.
The competition begins on Friday, September 11, with the mixed 4x100m relay among the first finals, while Amusan’s 100m hurdles final is also scheduled for the opening night. The men’s and women’s 100m finals will follow on Saturday, with the 200m and 400m events concluding the programme on Sunday.
With the world’s leading athletes converging on Budapest, Nigeria will be hoping its star-studded squad can seize the opportunity to make an early mark in a championship that World Athletics intends to establish as a major fixture on the global athletics calendar.
