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RECORD ALERT: Nigeria Shatters African U20 Mark, Storms Into World Championships Relay Final as Medal Hopes Soar in Eugene

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Team Nigeria produced another electrifying display at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, breaking both the Nigerian U20 record and the African U20 record in the mixed 4x100m relay as the country’s young stars continued their impressive march toward the medals.

The quartet of Tejiri Godwin, Rosemary Nwankwo, Perfect Faye and Miracle Ezechukwu delivered one of the standout performances of the championships, clocking 41.91 seconds to finish second in their qualifying heat and book a place in the final.

Read Also: World U20 Championships: Jessica Oji Delivers Historic Shot Put Gold for Nigeria in Eugene

It was not just qualification—it was history.

Their time erased the previous Nigerian U20 record and became the fastest time ever recorded by an African U20 team in the mixed 4x100m relay, sending a strong message to the rest of the field ahead of the medal race.

Nigeria looked out of contention for victory heading into the final exchange, but Miracle Ezechukwu produced a breathtaking anchor leg to transform the race.

The teenage sprinter powered past Germany with remarkable ease before closing rapidly on the United States in the closing metres. Her blistering 10.05-second anchor split turned what appeared to be an ordinary qualification into one of the most memorable performances of the championships.

With the record-breaking run, Team Nigeria now heads into the final brimming with confidence and firmly established among the leading contenders for a place on the podium.

The impressive relay display was complemented by more success on the track.

In the women’s 400 metres, Jecinta Lawrence showed tremendous determination to qualify for the semifinals after clocking 53.97 seconds. She finished in a dead heat for third place with Eni Kuske, with both athletes officially credited with the same time.

Compatriot Faith Ezechukwu also advanced after another composed race, finishing third in her heat in 54.38 seconds to secure automatic qualification for the next round.

Nigeria’s excellent day continued in the field as Precious Opinion booked his place in the men’s triple jump final with a superb personal best of 16.02 metres.

The leap exceeded the automatic qualification standard of 16.00m, making him one of only five athletes to achieve the mark and strengthening Nigeria’s medal prospects in the event.

The latest performances build on the momentum already generated by Jessica Oji, who earlier qualified for the women’s shot put final after topping the qualification round with a commanding throw of 17.56 metres.

With finalists now confirmed in the relay, women’s shot put and men’s triple jump, alongside two semifinalists in the women’s 400m, Team Nigeria continues to emerge as one of the standout nations at the championships.

As the competition enters its decisive stages, the country’s young athletes are not just advancing—they are breaking records, rewriting history and giving Nigerian fans every reason to believe that medals are within reach in Eugene.

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2027: Ex-APM, SDP, PDP candidates supporting Tinubu, he'll get 80% Ekiti votes – Oyebanji

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The Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, on Thursday assured President Bola Tinubu that the past governorship candidates of the Social Democratic Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Allied Peoples Movement, APM, are supporting his reelection bid.

Speaking during the APC's Ekiti State 2027 presidential campaign rally, the governor said no President has been as good to the people of the state as Tinubu.

Oyebanji said, "Mr President, Ekiti people have spoken and we have listened to the candidates of the SDP, PDP, and APM that we contested the June governorship election together, all three of them are now united to ensure that we deliver Mr President in January.

"I stand to be corrected that since the creation of Ekiti State, no President has been this good to Ekiti people. In May this year, Mr President sent the Vice President to Ekiti twice for us to commission some projects and to campaign. He sent the Vice President with one simple message – if we were happy with the performance of the governor, please return his promise.

"On June 20, the opportunity presented itself, you filed out and returned APC with an unprecedented vote of 85.7 percent, it has never happened in the history of this state, that victory is not for me; it's for Bola Tinubu, it's APC's victory.

"You told the President that you are happy with what he has done in the last four years, evidence said I will do more for Ekiti on one condition – return me back as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

Oyebanji assured Tinubu to relax because he will get 80 percent votes from Ekiti State.

He added: "Mr Vice President sir, our message to Mr President is that 'ki won lofokan bale,' there is no problem in Ekiti State. We have made up our mind that come January 16, we are going to double the tally of what we did in June this year.

"Ekiti is united and I have all the candidates of other political parties that contested with me here, all our former governors, Fayose, Niyi Adebayo, Fayemi are physically present here. Oni sent his apologies, I can say this boldly here that there is no problem in Ekiti.

"We will return the President with nothing less than 80 percent of the votes and that is a charge to Ekiti people."

2027: Ex-APM, SDP, PDP candidates supporting Tinubu, he’ll get 80% Ekiti votes – Oyebanji

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British national tests positive for Ebola in DRC

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A British national has tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UK government has confirmed.

According to the BBC, the British man tested positive for the virus while in the DRC. Reuters subsequently reported that he would be medically evacuated to the UK for specialist treatment. However, the exact time of the evacuation was not immediately known.

This marks the first confirmed case of a British national contracting the virus during the ongoing outbreak in the DRC, which has claimed more than 5,000 lives.

Ebola is a viral disease that can cause severe illness and spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person.

Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, weakness, and diarrhoea.

“The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated,” a UK government spokesperson was quoted as saying.

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“Further information will be shared in due course as appropriate. The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.”

Ebola outbreak

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus, and was first declared in DRC in May 2026.

According to the latest figures from the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the outbreak had recorded 10,563 confirmed cases and 5,130 deaths across five countries as of 1 November 2026.

The DRC accounts for the majority of the cases, with 10,532 confirmed cases and 5,126 deaths. The outbreak has affected eight provinces in the country.

Kenya has recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths, while Uganda has recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, alongside one probable case and one probable death.

Nigeria confirmed its first case on 20 October after a traveller with a history of travel to Uganda tested positive for the virus. The patient was subsequently medically evacuated to Switzerland for treatment.

READ ALSO: Resident doctors commend Uba Sani for prioritising healthcare workers’ welfare

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 62 contacts linked to the Nigerian case had been identified and were under follow-up as of 29 October.

Symptoms and transmission

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has explained that Ebola survivors may transmit the virus through sexual intercourse if it persists in their semen after recovery.

However, survivors who have met the criteria for discharge from treatment are not expected to transmit the virus through sweat or saliva, as the virus is cleared from their blood.


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