World Athletics has rejected Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili’s request to change her sporting nationality to Turkey, dealing a setback to her attempt to compete under a new flag.

The decision was disclosed on Thursday by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (Athletics Federation of Nigeria), following a review by World Athletics’ nationality panel.

According to the ruling, the application was denied amid concerns over how the transfer process was initiated, with the panel raising issues about the recruitment approach used by the Turkish Athletics Federation.

World Athletics said Turkey had aggressively recruited foreign athletes and encouraged rapid nationality switches, describing the approach as driven largely by “mercenary” motives that could undermine global athletics integrity.

Ofili was among 11 athletes included in Turkey’s group application for eligibility changes.

The governing body warned that such practices could weaken national development systems and disadvantage homegrown athletes in favour of imported competitors.

The 23-year-old sprinter began pursuing the switch in 2025 after publicly expressing dissatisfaction with sports administration in Nigeria, alleging mismanagement and obstacles to her career progress.

Ofili currently holds Nigeria’s women’s 200m record with a time of 21.96 seconds, alongside a personal best of 10.78 seconds recorded in 2022.