Settling into a new environment takes adjustment for anyone — even more so for the 20 young athletes drawn from across Nigeria who earned places at the MoC Athletics Academy in Lagos after the first two seasons of MTN CHAMPS, the country’s biggest schools’ athletics championship.
On a cool Monday morning, before the sun burned through the haze, they gathered on the track for the first time as teammates — some familiar with one another from grassroots circuits, others, like the Ushie brothers, bound by blood. What began as a loose constellation of talent would soon take shape under the guidance of Olympic medallist and Academy Head Coach Deji Aliu.
Nine months later, that promise turned into proof.
A Statement Season
At MTN CHAMPS Season 3 in 2025, Team MTN delivered a full-circle moment. In their first complete season as a unit, they amassed 14 national medals and an impressive 10 international medals.
On the MTN CHAMPS circuit, they dominated the Junior category, claiming two of the three available trophies. They stormed the Lagos Continental Relays with a commanding 125 points — nearly double their closest rivals — and carried that momentum to the Grand Finale in Uyo, where they won 16 medals. Across the three meets, they finished with a staggering 38 medals. It was no fluke. It was structure meeting talent.
Ezekiel Asuquo: The Breakout Quarter-Miler
One of the squad’s brightest revelations was Ezekiel Asuquo. Discovered at MTN CHAMPS Uyo Season 1 after winning the Youth Boys’ 400m, he entered 2025 with a modest 48.70s Personal Best (PB).
After finishing 2nd in his season opener at the MTN CHAMPS Athletics Classics in Benin, he bounced back emphatically at the Continental Relays in Lagos, clocking 47.26s for GOLD and helped Akwa Ibom win Silver in the relays at the National Sports Festival (NSF).
At the National U-20 Championships, he claimed Bronze to secure his first national call-up. What followed was a jaw-dropping 45.83s to win Silver in the men’s 400m at the African U-18/U-20 Championships in Abeokuta — obliterating his previous best.
He went on to make his senior debut at the CAA Region II Championships in Ghana, earning two relay GOLD medals and a 400m Silver. He closed his season at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh with GOLD in the mixed 4x400m and Bronze in the men’s 4x100m.
Nine medals. One season. A new name on Nigeria’s quarter-mile map.
Miracle Donald: Consistency as a Weapon
Like Asuquo, Miracle Donald was discovered at MTN CHAMPS Uyo Season 1. Her first Academy year was marked by consistency and resilience.
She won GOLD at the Athletics Classics in Benin and delivered podium finishes in Lagos and Uyo. At the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, she emerged as Lagos State’s most decorated track athlete, lowering her PB to 54.11s for 400m Bronze and adding two relay Bronzes alongside Academy teammates.
She reached the final of every 400m she contested in 2025 — including the National Championships — establishing herself as one of the most dependable quarter-milers of her generation.
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Jane Onyeneho & Benjamin Magaji: Steady Climbs
Jane Onyeneho, selected after standout performances in Season 1 of MTN CHAMPS Benin, built steadily despite injury setbacks. She secured Silver in the 200m at the Athletics Classics in Benin, later clocked a 400m PB of 54.78s at the MTN CHAMPS Grand Final in Uyo, and added double Bronze medals in the women’s and Mixed 4x400m for Lagos State at the National Sports Festival.
Benjamin Magaji’s improvement bordered on dramatic. Spotted at MTN CHAMPS Jos (Season 2), he dropped his 400m time from 51.48s to 47.31s in under a year. He struck GOLD in Benin, won Silver in Lagos, broke 22 seconds in the 200m, and dipped under 48s in the 400m. He represented Lagos State at the National Sports Festival, winning a Bronze medal in the mixed 4x400m. By season’s end, he was contesting the National Championships final and representing Nigeria Team B in the 4x400m relay pool.
Toheebat Jimoh: Reinvention Pays Off
For Toheebat Jimoh, adaptation meant reinvention. Initially a short sprinter, she transitioned to the 400m under Deji Aliu’s guidance after her progress stalled. She had never run the event before opening her season with 57.32s in Benin. By year’s end, she had slashed that to 53.00s.
She won the National U20 400m title and added GOLD and Bronze medals at the African U20 Championships in the 4x400m and 400m, respectively.
When first asked if the 400m was her future, she said no. Now, she embraces quarter-mile life — though she still dreams of sprinting greatness in the mould of Allyson Felix.
The Sprint Crew: Breaking Barriers
Azeezat Muhammed-Raji’s journey required persistence beyond the track — convincing family, overcoming doubt, surviving brutal training cycles.
Her reward came in breakthroughs: 12.18s in Lagos, 12.05s in Uyo, and eventually three sub-12 performances at the National Championships. She closed the year at 11.83s.
Lucy Nwankwo matched that mark, going even faster with 11.80s. She won medals across the MTN CHAMPS circuit, including leading an impressive Team MTN sweep comprising teammates Azeezat Muhammed-Raji and Mercy Ogbonna at the Continental Relays in Lagos. She claimed Silver (200m) and Bronze (100m) at the National U20 Championships, then secured a Bronze medal in the 200m (24.07s) at the African U18/U20 Championships where she also ran the lead leg for Nigeria’s U20 women’s 4x100m team, which struck GOLD.
Alvin Onyeama’s season was shortened by injury, but not before he ran 10.62s — having never broken 11s before 2025. Showers Ushie, younger brother of US-based collegiate athlete Gracious Ushie, matured into a team player while clocking 10.63s. His trajectory mirrors his brother’s — and perhaps promises even more.
The Quarter-Mile Depth
Stephen Adejumo (48.21s PB) and Prosper Ushie (48.29s), as well as Patience Joseph (56.64s)
reinforced the Academy’s growing depth in the 400m ranks — an event that now appears central to its identity.
A Foundation for 2026
From raw prospects discovered on school tracks to national and continental medallists, the MoC Athletics Academy’s Season 3 cohort has laid a formidable foundation. They are not finished products. They are a nucleus.
And if 2025 was proof of concept, 2026 may well be the year this constellation becomes a championship force.
The Athletes who joined the MoC Athletics Academy from Seasons 1 and 2 of MTN CHAMPS are:
Female: Azeezat Muhammed-Raji, Lucy Nwankwo, Mercy Ogbonna, Toheebat Jimoh, Jane Onyeneho, Chizoba Onyemauwa, Miracle Uwem, Patience Joseph
Male: Fervent Edet, Alvin Onyeama, Emmanuel Oyewale, Showers Ushie, Benjamin Magaji, Ezekiel Asuquo, Emmanuel Obi, Prosper Ushie, Stephen Adejumo, Khalil Saleh
The Academy has now swelled to 30 athletes with the unveiling of 10 more athletes from Season 3, with two of them now being sponsored by Beacon Power Services. The new athletes are:
Male: Emmanuel Akolo, Michael Aniche, Abdulfatah Oduwole, Mighty Otunola, Destiny Reuben, Kehinde Seriki,
Female: Victory Aganya, Rebecca Enilolobo, Chidimma Esomonu, Nneoma Okonkwo
