Udo-Obong rewards 17-year-old Aderemi after stunning 50.95s run

Udo-Obong rewards 17-year-old Aderemi after stunning 50.95s run

Olympic champion Enefiok Udo-Obong has honoured his promise to Nigeria’s emerging athletes by presenting 17-year-old Iyanuoluwa Aderemi with a ₦500,000 cash reward for her outstanding performance in the women’s 400m at the 2026 Dynamic Athletics Meet.

Aderemi earned the prize after tearing up the track at the Yabatech Sports Complex, Lagos, to clock a remarkable 50.95 seconds, a new personal best that comfortably surpassed the 51.80-second target set by Udo-Obong.

The Akoko, Ondo State-born athlete’s performance was one of the standout moments of the third edition of the Dynamic Athletics Meet and has brought renewed attention to her potential in the women’s 400m.

Udo-Obong had promised ₦500,000 each to the male and female 400m winners who achieved the stipulated winning standards of 45.50 seconds and 51.80 seconds respectively.

Having met the condition in emphatic fashion, Aderemi received her reward on Wednesday at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Udo-Obong, who was part of Nigeria’s gold medal-winning 4x400m relay team at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, used the occasion to encourage the teenager to remain committed to her development.

He urged Aderemi to treat her breakthrough performance as the beginning of a longer journey rather than an endpoint, particularly as she looks ahead to the 2027 season.

The Olympic champion also stressed the need for stakeholders in Nigerian athletics to rally around promising talents such as Aderemi and provide the support required to help them progress to the highest level.

The presentation was witnessed by:

• Dynamic Athletics Meet Founder and CEO Olabanji Ayegbusi

• Aderemi’s coach Adeleye Ogunmakinju

• Veteran coach and former national head coach Armelia Edet

• Lagos State Athletics Performance Director Abiodun Ibrahim

• Lagos State athletics coach Bamise Emmanuel

Udo-Obong, who currently works as Technical Adviser to the Saudi Arabia Athletics Federation, has continued to contribute to athletics development beyond his competitive career.

He served as Technical Director at the African U-18 and U-20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta and also at the Niger Delta Games in Benin City, Edo State, earlier this year.

The Dynamic Athletics Meet, which began in 2024, has established a platform for young and established athletes to compete alongside one another while gaining valuable exposure.

Athletics stakeholders stated that, Wednesday’s presentation marked another significant moment for Iyanuoluwa Aderemi, in a season that has already produced her biggest breakthrough yet.

Her 50.95-second run at 17 has given Nigerian athletics another young 400m prospect to watch, while Udo-Obong’s fulfilled pledge has provided a tangible reward for a performance that could prove important in the early stages of her career.