‎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.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎“To all the cyclists who participated in the championships, everyone is a winner,” he said.
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‎He also congratulated Nigerian cyclists on their impressive performances and expressed confidence that they would continue to achieve greater success in future international competitions.
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‎Dikko thanked participating countries, officials and technical teams for contributing to the smooth organisation of the event on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
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‎Also speaking, Secretary-General of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Joel Akinluwa, described the championships as a major success despite minor organisational challenges.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎He commended the NSC for ensuring that facilities, logistics, safety measures and medical arrangements were put in place ahead of the competition.
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‎He further highlighted the improved safety record during the championships, noting that organisers successfully avoided the casualties experienced in some previous editions.
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‎Eight countries participated in the championships, including Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Benin Republic and host