Two asoiring medalists – Jessica Oji and Jami Schlueter – have received strong tips to excel in their respective events with Nigeria’s track and field contingent at this year’s Commonwealth Games, with their inclusion in the team described as a significant boost for the country’s developmental efforts.
Sports247 reports that, while Oji is a 19-year-old USA-based shot puter, Schlueter is a multi-event athlete who was born in Germany to a Nigerian mother and German father, but opted to compete for his motherland, where he is currently national record holder in decathlon and heptathlon.
While at the University of Washington, he was the Black Student Athlete Association president and helped the institution win a National Award for Black Student Athlete Organisations, while also working as a Business Development and Project Management consultant.
The 23-year-old athlete, whose mum hails from Ekiti State, started competing in combined events between 2014 and 2016, during which period he moved from quadrathlon to pentathlon and later decathlon, then set the Nigerian record in heptathlon with a tally of 5,789 points earlier this year.
That feat came during the 2026 Texas A&M Charlie Thomas Invitational, where he competed for University of Washington and broke the previous record of 4,859 set by Chukwuma Maduka in 2018, after which he improved to 5,871 points at the US National Indoor Championships in Indianapolis.
Schlueter is now rated as one of the young Nigerian athletes to watch out for at Glasgow 2026, along with Oji, who was born in the US and is currently an undergraduate at University of Pennsylvania, with which she first broke the Ivy League record in December 2025 with a mark of 17.72 m (58 ft 1.75 in).
She then went on to break the mark four more times at the Penn Elite Meet with 18.45m (60′ 6.5″) and she currently has a personal best of 18.50, with which she clinched the conference title, then became eligible for Nigeria in February, when World Athletics confirmed her switch in allegiance.
Both athletes are now members of the country’s track and field contingent of 16 female and 13 male competitors to the Commonwealth Games, ahead of which second vice-president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Akuchukwu Aghazu described them as ‘dedicated youngsters.’
She also commended them for willingly taking up the opportunity to wear Nigeria’s colours and commended National Sports Commission (NSC) leadership for creating an environment that has encouraged talented athletes born abroad to take up the responsibility of competing for Nigeria.
“Jessica and Jami have settled in remarkably well. They are extremely dedicated, disciplined and eager to contribute to Nigeria’s success. They are putting in the right shift every day because they want to help put Nigeria firmly on the global athletics map.
“Their commitment has been outstanding, and we are delighted to have them in the Nigerian family. The credit must go to the leadership of the National Sports Commission under Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director General Honourable Bukola Olopade.
“They have opened the space for young Nigerian athletes to believe in their country again. Their support, vision and commitment are helping to rebuild confidence and strengthen Team Nigeria.
“We are in Glasgow with one of the strongest athletics teams Nigeria has assembled in recent years. The athletes have shown tremendous commitment in training, and everyone is focused on representing the country with pride,” Aghazu submitted.
