The Federal Government has announced cash rewards of $3,000 for each Nigerian athlete who wins gold at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, as the country’s 19-member contingent prepares to depart for the competition.
Silver medallists will receive $2,500 each, while athletes who win bronze will earn $2,000, according to the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade.
Olopade announced the incentives at a send-off ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, where he urged the athletes to represent Nigeria with discipline, pride and patriotism.
The contingent is scheduled to leave Nigeria on Thursday, October 29, for the Games, which will run from October 31 to November 13.
The Nigerian athletes will compete in six sports: athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming, table tennis and beach volleyball.
Olopade described the competition as a historic opportunity, as Dakar will host the first Youth Olympic Games on African soil. He urged the athletes to use the experience as a foundation for their future careers, including possible participation in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
He also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to grassroots sports development, pointing to its Invited Junior Athletes programme as part of efforts to identify and prepare promising young competitors.
The NSC formally handed the contingent over to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) at the ceremony.
Receiving the athletes, NOC President Habu Gumel assured the Commission that the team would receive the necessary support in Dakar and urged the competitors to uphold the principles of clean sport.
The Games will bring together young athletes from around the world, giving Nigeria an opportunity to test its emerging talent against international opposition.
Beyond the medal rewards, the competition will also test how effectively Nigeria can turn the experience gained by its young athletes into progress towards senior international competition.
