michaelaROLL CALL
Here are the top 10 fastest men in Nigerian history based on their personal best times in the 100 meters:
Olusoji Fasuba: Holds the Nigerian record with a time of 9.85 seconds.
Divine Oduduru: A consistent performer with a personal best of 9.86 seconds.
Udodi Onwuzurike: A rising star with a promising future and a personal best of 9.92 seconds.
Seun Ogunkoya: A veteran sprinter with a personal best of 9.94 seconds.
Davidson Ezinwa: A former Olympic medalist with a personal best of 9.98 seconds.
Olapade Adeniken: A talented sprinter with a personal best of 10.01 seconds.
Deji Aliu: A promising talent with a personal best of 10.02 seconds.
Favour Ashe: A young and upcoming sprinter with a personal best of 10.03 seconds.
Uchenna Emedolu: A former 200m specialist with a 100m best of 10.04 seconds.
Daniel Effiong: A veteran sprinter with a personal best of 10.05 seconds.
Based on the fastest men in history, here are the Top 10 fastest men in Nigerian history.
Here are the top 10 fastest men in Nigerian history based on their personal best times in the 100 meters:
Nigeria is known as a hub of some of the fastest men in African and world athletics history.
Through the years, the country has produced the most individual sub-10s in the continent – the same on the women’s side with most sub-11s runners.
The country is also home to the most sub-10s runners behind USA and Jamaica, making them a respected sprints nation in the world and a stat that will double up in the next few years.
This season is a testament to this fact as Nigeria has three young new sub-10s runners, while three others are below 10.05s, making them the second highest to the USA with the fastest male sprinters in the world.
Based on the fastest men in history, here are the Top 10 fastest men in Nigerian history.
1 – Olusoji Fasuba (9.85s)
He is regarded as one of the finest sprinters to don the green and white colours, having won a world indoor title, Commonwealth title, Olympic medal, and several continental and international medals.
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Fasuba clocked the current Nigerian Record of 9.85s at the Doha Diamond League in 2006, which also stood as the African Record (AR) until South Africa’s Akani Simbine broke it with 9.84s in 2021, followed by Ferdinand Omanyala lowering it to 9.77s later that year.
The former NCAA standout athlete ran a blazing 9.86s in the 100m and 19.73s (National record) in the 200m to win double titles at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
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Oduduru is only the second Nigerian sprinter to go sub-9.90s in history.
3 – Godson Brume (9.90s)
A sophomore at Louisiana State University, Brume clocked an impressive 9.93s to win his semifinal heat at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
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Nigerian athlete Godson Brume gets people talking in the US and on ESPN
He will later lower this time to 9.90s to finish second in the final, joining the elite league of Nigeria’s fastest men in history.
4 – Udodi Onwuzurike (9.92s)
The 20-year-old stormed to 9.92s to win the 2023 NCAA West Preliminaries and qualify for the NCAA Championships.
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Alongside Brume, they are the youngest on the list and currently in the Big 5 Nigerian sprinters with the talent to break the NR.
4 – Seun Ogunkoya (9.92s)
His first time under the sub-10s mark was in July 1997, with a time of 9.97s. He became the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10s barrier at 19 years, 197 days.
After this, the highly-rated speedster ran under 10s thrice in 1998 with 9.96s, 9.94s, and finally 9.92s which was a then NR.
Ogunkoya arguably stands tall as Nigeria’s fastest sprinter in history, having clocked multiple sub-10s times.
5 – Davidson Ezinwa (9.94s)
One-half of the Ezinwa brothers, he clocked a time of 9.94s, although he has recorded 9.91s, albeit with a doubtful wind reading of -2.3 m/s which is an unlikely weather condition for records.
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He was not just one of Nigeria’s fastest men but one of the fastest men in the world during his active years.
6 – Olapade Adeniken (9.95s)
A specialist in both the 100m and 200m, Adeniken was the first Nigerian sprinter to break the 10s barrier with a Personal Best (PB) time of 9.95s, achieved in April 1994 in El Paso. In the 200m, his PB was 20.11s, attained in June 1992 in Austin, Texas.
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Alongside Ezinwa, Chidi Imoh, and Oluyemi Kayode, they won a 4x100m silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
6 – Deji Aliu (9.95s)
Another veteran recognised for his sprints prowess, Aliu clocked 9.95s to win the 2003 All-Africa Games in Abuja.
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His record remains the fastest time run on Nigerian soil in history.
7 – Raymond Ekevwo (9.96s)
A member of the new generation of Nigerian sprinters, Ekevwo stunned the athletics world when he sped to a blistering 9.96s to win the 2019 African Games in Rabat.
By so doing, he joined the elite league of Nigeria’s fastest men in history.
7 – Favour Ashe (9.96s)
At 20 years, Ashe won the Nigerian title with a PB of 9.99s, which earned him the current title of Nigeria’s fastest man.
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It was his first time under the 10s mark. However, in his semifinal race at the 2023 NCAA Championships, he lowered this time to 9.96s for a convenient win.
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Favour Ashe cruises to sub-10s time to qualify for NCAA 100m final
8 – Francis Obikwelu (9.97s)
With a time of 9.97s clocked in the year 2000 before his nationalization to Portugal, Obikwelu is Nigeria’s eighth fastest man in history.
8 – Uchenna Emedolu (9.97s)
Also a specialist in the 100m and 200m, Emedolu achieved his lifetime best of 9.97s at the 2003 All-African Games in Abuja, where he finished second behind Aliu.
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Together with Fasuba, Aaron Egbele, and Aliu, they won a 4x100m bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
9 – Daniel Effiong (9.98s)
He achieved his lifetime best of 9.98s in the semifinal of the 1993 World Championships. Effiong also has a fast 200m time of 20.10s attained in May 1994.
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9 – Enoch Adegoke (9.98s)
At the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Adegoke clocked a PB of 9.98s to win his 100m heat, becoming the eleventh Nigerian sprinter to clock sub-10s.
He then finished second in his semifinal heat with a time of 10.00s to advance to the final.
