Team Nigeria’s seven-medal haul at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, which concluded on Sunday, marks the country’s worst performance at the summer games.
Nigeria finished the event with two gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, placing 40th overall.
On the final day, Folashade Oluwafemiayo broke her own world record in the women’s over-86 kg para-powerlifting category, becoming the first para-athlete to lift 166 kg, securing a gold medal in the process. Her record-breaking performance brought Nigeria’s total to seven medals.
Earlier, on the penultimate day, Nigeria added three medals to their tally. Isau Ogunkunle claimed bronze in para-table tennis, Bose Omolayo won silver in para-powerlifting, and Flora Ugwunwa secured silver in the women’s javelin.
Ogunkunle’s bronze in the Men’s Singles Class 4 Para Table Tennis made him the first Nigerian to win an individual table tennis medal since the 2000 Sydney Games. Omolayo lifted 145 kg to earn silver in the Women’s 79kg Para Powerlifting, while Ugwunwa’s 19.26-meter throw earned her a silver in the Women’s Javelin F54.
Before this, Team Nigeria had managed three medals across powerlifting, para-table tennis, and para-badminton.
On Friday, Onyinyechi Mark secured Nigeria’s first gold in Paris, lifting 150 kg in the women’s 61 kg powerlifting category. Oluwafemiayo’s final-day gold came after Loveline Obiji was disqualified from the women’s 86 kg para-powerlifting event.
Despite these efforts, the Paris 2024 performance fell short of Nigeria’s previous showings. In their 1992 debut in Barcelona, Nigeria won three gold medals with just six athletes, finishing 21st. At Atlanta 1996, they secured three gold, two silver, and three bronze with eight athletes. Sydney 2000 saw Nigeria earn seven gold, one silver, and five bronze, totaling 13 medals.
In Athens 2004, Nigeria finished with five gold, four silver, and three bronze, followed by a decline in Beijing 2008, where they won four gold, four silver, and one bronze. London 2012 saw an improvement, matching the Sydney 2000 medal tally with six gold, five silver, and two bronze. Rio 2016 remains Nigeria’s best outing, with eight gold, two silver, and two bronze.
At Tokyo 2020, the medal count dropped to four gold, one silver, and five bronze. The two gold medals in Paris represent the country’s lowest total since their 1992 debut.