Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has emerged overall champion of the 15th West African University Games, winning a total of 122 medals to finish ahead of the University of Ghana and Benson Idahosa University in a competition that brought together fifty universities from across the sub-region and showcased the depth of sporting talent in West Africa's tertiary institutions.
The host institution claimed 33 gold, 50 silver and 39 bronze medals, according to the official medal table released on the Games' social media handles on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The University of Ghana finished second with 59 medals, comprising 26 gold, 21 silver and 12 bronze. Benson Idahosa University placed third with 21 gold, 10 silver and seven bronze medals, while the University of Ibadan finished fourth with 17 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze. The rankings were determined by the number of gold medals won, followed by silver and bronze where necessary.
The margin of OAU's victory was emphatic. The host university won seven more gold medals than the University of Ghana and finished with more than twice the total medal haul of its nearest challenger. The performance reflected the depth of OAU's athletic programme and the advantage of competing on home soil, with the university's athletes featuring prominently across multiple sports. Lagos State University finished fifth with 10 gold, four silver and three bronze, while Afe Babalola University placed sixth with nine gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze. Delta State University, Abraka, was seventh with seven gold, two silver and two bronze, followed by the University of Ilorin and the University of Cape Coast, which both recorded six gold medals, and Nile University of Nigeria, which also won six gold.
The medal table reflected a strong showing by Nigerian universities, which dominated the top positions. However, Ghanaian institutions demonstrated their competitiveness, with the University of Ghana finishing second, the University of Cape Coast joint eighth, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology eleventh. The University for Development Studies and the University of Energy and Natural Resources, both from Ghana, also featured on the medal table. The participation of institutions from Sierra Leone and Senegal added a broader regional dimension to the competition, reinforcing the Games' role as a platform for sporting exchange and integration across West Africa.
The 15th edition of the West African University Games, held under the theme "Uniting Universities, Inspiring Excellence," ran from October 2 to 12 at OAU, Ile-Ife. The Games brought together approximately fifty universities from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Senegal, with more than 1,500 athletes and officials competing across eighteen sporting disciplines. The sports included football, basketball, volleyball, handball, badminton, chess, table tennis, lawn tennis, hockey, cricket, swimming, eSports and squash, reflecting the Games' evolution beyond traditional track and field events into a multi-sport festival that caters to a diverse range of athletic interests.
The football competition produced one of the most dramatic moments of the Games, with OAU eliminating defending champions the University for Development Studies of Ghana 4-3 on penalties in a semi-final clash at the Main Bowl. The University for Development Studies had been seeking to add another WAUG football title to their collection, but the host university's victory ended their campaign and set up a final that underscored OAU's dominance across sports. The football result was emblematic of the broader competition, in which Nigerian universities, and OAU in particular, asserted their supremacy.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, described the Games as an investment in the future of young people. "For OAU, the Games are an investment in the future of our youth," Bamire said. He said the university wanted the infrastructure and systems developed for the competition to continue benefiting its community after the Games, signalling that the event was intended to leave a lasting legacy beyond the ten days of competition. The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Professor Emmanuel Akinfala, said eighteen sports would feature in the competition, while the President of the West Africa University Sports Federation, Ibrahim Shaibu Tanko, described the tournament as an important opportunity for student-athletes to gain international experience and exposure. Tanko urged the athletes to give their best while respecting their opponents and officials, a message that reflected the Games' emphasis on fair play, resilience and friendship.
The closing ceremony, scheduled for Sunday, October 11, 2026, was expected to celebrate the achievements of participating athletes and institutions, as well as the spirit of fair play that defined the competition. OAU said the closing ceremony would recognise the athletes who had distinguished themselves and the universities that had contributed to the success of the Games. For the host institution, the overall championship represented both a sporting triumph and a validation of its capacity to organise a major regional event. For the University of Ghana and the other participating institutions, the Games offered valuable experience and exposure that would inform their preparations for future editions.
The West African University Games have a long history of promoting sporting excellence and regional integration among universities in the sub-region. The competition provides student-athletes with the opportunity to compete at an international level, develop their skills and build networks that transcend national boundaries. For many participants, the Games are a stepping stone to national and international careers in sports, while for the universities, they are an opportunity to showcase their athletic programmes and institutional capacity. The 15th edition, hosted by OAU, continued that tradition and set a high standard for future hosts. As the curtain fell on the 2026 Games, the focus shifted to the next edition and the universities that will seek to challenge OAU's dominance. For now, the host institution can savour a comprehensive victory that will be remembered as one of the most dominant performances in the history of the competition, and the medal table stands as a testament to the depth of talent and the spirit of competition that define the West African University Games.
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