AFN Golden League Opens in Benin as 412 Athletes Begin Season Campaign

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria opened its new Golden League series in Benin City on Monday, with 412 athletes entered across 28 men’s and women’s events at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

The March 2 to March 3 competition is listed on the World Athletics calendar and marks the first edition of the AFN Golden League under the federation’s technical committee. Organisers said the meeting is part of Team Nigeria’s preparations for a busy athletics year and will also serve as a performance checkpoint for athletes currently in national camp in Asaba.

Competition starts at 8 a.m., with the women’s 5,000 metres final as the opening race. The programme then moves into the sprint and field events expected to draw the biggest attention from coaches, selectors and fans.

The men’s and women’s 100 metres and 400 metres have been listed as Premium events. AFN said winners in these races will receive cash rewards. The federation also listed eight Classics events for incentives: women’s 100m hurdles, men’s 110m hurdles, men’s triple jump, men’s javelin, women’s 800m, men’s 1,500m, women’s long jump and women’s high jump.

Beyond medal races, the federation has created a Promotional category to widen participation and give younger athletes more race opportunities. Officials said this structure is meant to raise the depth of competition and help identify athletes who can move into elite programmes over the coming months.

AFN Technical Director Gabriel Okon said the league is designed to provide regular competitions for Nigerian athletes during the year. He said athletes need consistent competitive exposure if Nigeria wants stronger results on the international stage.

Okon also said AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, supported the launch of the series and approved financial rewards for top performers. Federation officials believe the combination of ranking opportunities, domestic competition and performance incentives can strengthen the country’s season build-up and keep athletes race-ready before major continental and global assignments.