Nigeria has been commended for successfully hosting the 2026 African Track Cycling Championships and the African Para-Cycling Championships, which came to an end on Sunday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Velodrome in Abuja.
The week-long championships, held from May 11 to May 17, featured the 12th Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) Track Cycling Championships and the 3rd CAC Para-Cycling Championships, attracting athletes from across the continent.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, praised athletes, organisers and officials for delivering a successful competition and described all participants as winners.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Dikko applauded the dedication and resilience displayed throughout the championships while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to sports development and continental sporting excellence.
“To all the cyclists who participated in the championships, everyone is a winner,” he said.
He also congratulated Nigerian cyclists on their impressive performances and expressed confidence that they would continue to achieve greater success in future international competitions.
Dikko thanked participating countries, officials and technical teams for contributing to the smooth organisation of the event on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
Also speaking, Secretary-General of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Joel Akinluwa, described the championships as a major success despite minor organisational challenges.
According to him, representatives of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Confederation of African Cycling (CAC), who supervised the competition, expressed satisfaction with Nigeria’s hosting standard.
Akinluwa noted that this was the third time Nigeria hosted the championships and added that many participants considered the 2026 edition an improvement on previous outings.
He commended the NSC for ensuring that facilities, logistics, safety measures and medical arrangements were put in place ahead of the competition.
He further highlighted the improved safety record during the championships, noting that organisers successfully avoided the casualties experienced in some previous editions.
Eight countries participated in the championships, including Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Benin Republic and host