The West Africa University Games came to a close in Ile-Ife with Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) finishing as overall champions while Benson Idahosa University (BIU), the University of Ibadan (UI), Lagos State University (LASU), Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) and several others made their mark in the competition.

Hosted by OAU from 2 to 12 October 2026, the Games brought together universities from across West Africa for a multi-sport competition that placed Nigerian athletes under the spotlight on home soil. 

The final standings revealed the different levels of competitiveness among Nigerian universities, the institutions investing in particular sports and the opportunities that the West Africa University Games offers athletes seeking to progress beyond their campuses.

OAU Set The Standard On Home Soil

OAU successfully combined the responsibilities of hosting with a first-place finish at the top of the medal standings, garnering 33 gold medals, 50 silver and 39 bronze; a total of 122 medals which made them the clear overall winner of the competition and gave them a substantial lead over their closest challengers, the University of Ghana who occupied second place.

The hosts also secured the men's football title, defeating Lead City University in an all-Nigerian final. After a goalless draw, OAU prevailed 4-3 on penalties to win what could be described as one of the tournament's most closely watched events.

BIU, UI and the depth of Nigerian university sport

Behind OAU, Benson Idahosa University finished third overall with 21 gold medals, 10 silver and seven bronze while UI recorded 17 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze.

BIU's was one of the Games' standout university. Its position among the top three was proof that the strongest performances at this level of university sports need not come exclusively from the largest or most established public institutions.

The University of Ibadan, meanwhile, finished fourth with 42 medals. Its 17 gold medals placed it among the most successful delegations at the Games while its silver and bronze returns reflected a broad involvement across the different sports in the competition.

LASU completed the top five with 10 gold medals and 17 overall. Afe Babalola University followed in sixth place, recording nine gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze medals for a total medal haul of 42.

Beyond The Leading Universities 

Podium finishes were not confined to the universities at the top of the standings. Several other Nigerian institutions recorded results that deserve attention. Delta State University, Abraka finished seventh with seven gold medals while the University of Ilorin took eighth place with six gold. Nile University of Nigeria also secured six gold medals, finishing tenth overall with nine medals. A major highlight of their performance was their much talked about gold medal victory in the men's basketball competition where they defeated Lead City University 66-56 in the final. The result added yet another university basketball title to a team that had already built a famous reputation for being arguably the leading institution in Nigeria university basketball.

Further down the standings, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology secured three gold medals and 14 medals overall. Making its WAUG debut, Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi won two gold medals while the University of Abuja collected one gold alongside six silver and six bronze.

Osun State University finished with 16 medals, all in silver and bronze while Lead City University recorded three medals. The University of Ilesa, Plateau State University, the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho and the Federal University of Technology, Akure also featured in the final standings.

Ghana's Challenge Kept The Games Regional

Although Nigerian institutions dominated the upper portion of the standings, the Games retained an important regional dimension. The University of Ghana finished second with 26 gold medals, 21 silver and 12 bronze, making it the strongest non-Nigerian institution in the competition. The University of Cape Coast finished ninth with six gold medals while Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology placed eleventh with five gold. The University for Development Studies and the University of Energy and Natural Resources also secured medals for the Ghanian contingent.

Their combined performances ensured that WAUG 2026 was not a one-sided affair in Nigeria. 

Building On WAUG 2026's Success

With the Games over, OAU can celebrate a successful campaign on home soil while BIU, UI, LASU, ABUAD and other Nigerian universities leave Ile-Ife with plenty to build on. 

For the participating West African and Nigerian universities, the Games provided opportunities to evaluate the effectiveness of their sports programmes.

Competitions may have ended but the work continues. The various participating institutions must now take the next step of ensuring that the results achieved at the Games are sustained through the provision of better facilities, coaching and opportunities for the student athletes.

By Victor Oluwaseun Olabisi