By Hosea Parah
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, hosted the returning Team Nigeria, following their impressive outing at the conclusion of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Nigeria finished as the highest-ranked African nation at the Games, and the only African country to place in the overall top ten, winning 24 medals: 10 gold, seven silver, and seven bronze medals.
The Friday evening reception, which took place at the UK High Commissioner’s residence in Abuja, brought together athletes, coaches, officials from the National Sports Commission (NSC), and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), alongside representatives of the British High Commission.
The reception highlighted the strong ties between the United Kingdom and Nigeria and the role of sport in fostering friendship, collaboration and people-to-people connections across the Commonwealth.
Speaking at the occasion, Montgomery hailed the athletes for their resilience.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Team Nigeria’s athletes, coaches and officials to celebrate their achievements at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Nigeria’s performances in Glasgow demonstrated remarkable talent, dedication and resilience. Sport has a unique ability to bring people together, and today’s reception reflects the strong and enduring partnership between the United Kingdom and Nigeria, built on shared values and longstanding Commonwealth ties,” Montgomery said.
The Chairman of the NSC, Mr Shehu Dikko, commended the High Commission for the reception, and also used the opportunity to solicit for the High Commissioner’s support for Nigeria’s hosting bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2034.
“As we look to the future, Nigeria hopes to receive the support of the British Government and our friends across the UK for Nigeria’s bid to host the 2034 Commonwealth Games. You’ll recall that we wanted to host in 2030, which was given to India, but during the Commonwealth Ministers’ Meeting in Glasgow, it was unanimously decided that the 2034 Games should be hosted in Africa. The entire African council resolved to put Nigeria forward as the host nation for 2034. We hope for your support when the time comes,” Dikko pleaded.
Speaking on the country’s performance at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Dikko said the athletes have made the entire nation proud.
“The outstanding performances of our athletes, coaches, and officials in Glasgow have made the entire nation proud. Their record-breaking achievements, historic milestones, and unwavering commitment have once again demonstrated Nigeria’s immense sporting potential. We will continue to strengthen the support systems around our athletes, provide the necessary enablers to build on this momentum,” he added.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games brought together approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 n
ations and territories.