Fastest man in Nigeria: 100m record holder and top sprinters

Last updated: 6 October 2026.

The fastest man in Nigeria is Kanyinsola Ajayi. The Auburn University sprinter ran 100m in 9.84 seconds on 29 May 2026, breaking a national record that had lasted for 20 years. He has since matched that time twice, including when he beat the world champion at the Prefontaine Classic. This guide explains the record and the man it replaced, and lists Nigeria’s other sprint records for men and women. Times come from Vanguard, Olympics.com, NCAA results and Nigeria’s national record listings, and are correct as of October 2026.

The short answer

• Fastest man in Nigeria: Kanyinsola Ajayi, 9.84 seconds for 100m (wind +0.7 m/s), set on 29 May 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Previous record: Olusoji Fasuba’s 9.85, set in Doha in May 2006. It was also the African record until 2021.
• Fastest woman in Nigeria (100m): Blessing Okagbare, 10.79 in London on 27 July 2013.
• 200m records: Divine Oduduru (19.73) for men and Favour Ofili (21.96) for women.
• Spellings: Ajayi’s first name appears as both “Kanyinsola” and “Kayinsola”. We use the spelling in his NCAA and Auburn records.

Kanyinsola Ajayi: 9.84, three times

Ajayi set the record at the NCAA Division I East First Round in Lexington on 29 May 2026. NCAA.com called it the second-fastest 100m in NCAA history. Vanguard reported that it ended Fasuba’s 20-year hold on the national record.

He ran 9.84 again on 4 July 2026 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, in a +0.1 m/s wind. Olympics.com reported that he beat the world champion Oblique Seville, who ran 9.89, and the American Christian Coleman. Nigeria’s national record list also credits him with a third 9.84, into a headwind, in London on 18 July 2026.

Ajayi was already among the world’s best before 2026. He reached the final of the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo and finished sixth, having run 9.88 in the heats.

Why all three 9.84s count

A sprint time can only be a record if the tailwind is no stronger than 2.0 metres per second. All three of Ajayi’s 9.84s were legal: +0.7 in Lexington, +0.1 in Eugene and −0.7, a headwind, in London. Running 9.84 into a headwind is especially impressive, because a negative reading means he was running against the breeze. Some Nigerian reports gave a different wind figure for the Lexington race, but NCAA results list +0.7.

Olusoji Fasuba: the record that lasted 20 years

Fasuba ran 9.85 at the Doha Grand Prix on 12 May 2006. That beat Namibian Frankie Fredericks’ African record of 9.86, which had stood since 1996. Fasuba was also the 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist. He remained African record holder until South Africa’s Akani Simbine ran 9.84 in July 2021, and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala lowered the African record to 9.77 later that year.

Fasuba was also part of Nigeria’s 4×100m relay team that won Olympic bronze in Athens in 2004.

Nigeria’s sprint records

Men

• 100m: 9.84, Kanyinsola Ajayi (2026)
• 200m: 19.73, Divine Oduduru, NCAA Championships, Austin, 7 June 2019
• 400m: 43.38, Samuel Ogazi, NCAA Championships, Eugene, 12 June 2026, according to the national records list

Women

• 100m: 10.79, Blessing Okagbare, London Anniversary Games, 27 July 2013. It was an African record at the time.
• 200m: 21.96, Favour Ofili, Gainesville, 15 April 2022
• 400m: 49.10, Falilat Ogunkoya, Atlanta Olympics, 29 July 1996

A note on Blessing Okagbare

Okagbare’s 10.79 is still the national record, but her career ended in disgrace. In 2022 the Athletics Integrity Unit banned her for ten years, with the ban starting from July 2021, for several anti-doping violations, and the ban was later extended. The violations dated from 2021, and her 2013 time remains on the books. She won Olympic long jump silver at Beijing 2008 after other athletes were disqualified.

The American college connection

Several of Nigeria’s current sprint records were set at American college meets. Ajayi’s 9.84 came at an NCAA regional, Oduduru’s 19.73 and Ogazi’s 43.38 at the NCAA Championships, and Ofili’s 21.96 at the Tom Jones Invitational in Florida. College athletics gives these sprinters a full season of fast, competitive races.

Nigeria’s sprint relay medals

Nigeria’s sprinters have won Olympic relay medals in both the men’s and women’s 4×100m:

• Men, silver, Barcelona 1992: Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Chidi Imoh and Oluyemi Kayode, with Osmond Ezinwa in the heats.
• Women, bronze, Barcelona 1992: Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, Mary Onyali and Faith Idehen.
• Men, bronze, Athens 2004: Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna Emedolu, Aaron Egbele and Deji Aliu.
• Women, silver, Beijing 2008: Franca Idoko, Gloria Kemasuode, Halimat Ismaila and Oludamola Osayomi, with Agnes Osazuwa in the heats. The medal was upgraded after other teams were disqualified.

FAQ

Who is the fastest man in Nigeria in 2026?

Kanyinsola Ajayi, whose 9.84 is the national 100m record.

Who held the Nigerian 100m record before Ajayi?

Olusoji Fasuba, with 9.85 from 2006.

Who is the fastest woman in Nigeria?

At 100m, Blessing Okagbare, with 10.79 from 2013. Favour Ofili holds the 200m record with 21.96.

Has a Nigerian run under 9.80?

No. As of October 2026, the fastest legal time by a Nigerian is 9.84.

What to watch

Ajayi’s next targets are a global medal at the 2027 World Championships and a first sub-9.80 run.

Related: Tobi Amusan world record: the 12.12 run and what came next; Nigeria Olympic medals: every medal since 1964; African winners at the Grammys, Oscars, Cannes and Emmys: a timeline. More in our Viral & Trending section.

Sources

• Vanguard: Kanyinsola Ajayi breaks 20-year Nigerian 100m record with 9.84 (May 2026)
• Olympics.com: 2026 Prefontaine Classic, Ajayi upsets world champion Seville (July 2026)
• NCAA.com: Auburn’s Kanyinsola Ajayi runs No. 2 men’s 100m in NCAA history (29 May 2026)
• Wikipedia: List of Nigerian records in athletics