By Jide Olusola
Nigeria’s top-ranked junior fencer, 18-year-old Inkosi Brou, will lead the country’s four-man team to the 2026 African Junior Fencing Championships scheduled for February 16–20 in Dakar, Senegal.
Brou, the grandson of the late Professor Dora Akunyili, former Director-General of NAFDAC, has emerged as Nigeria’s most decorated young fencer. He made history in 2024 as the nation’s first global fencing medallist after winning silver at the World Tournoi Satellite Cup.
Currently ranked among Africa’s elite junior fencers and 13th in the world in men’s sabre, Brou also secured a bronze medal at the 2025 African Junior Championships and is regarded as a strong prospect for Olympic qualification ahead of Los Angeles 2028.
He will be joined in Dakar by Mahathir Idongesit (Men’s Épée), Sara Idongesit (Women’s Épée), and Adebodunrin Thomas (Women’s Épée). The quartet will compete in both individual and team events, with Brou and Mahathir featuring in the Men’s Sabre and Épée categories, respectively, while Sara and Thomas contest the Women’s Épée individual and team events.
National coach Ibrahim Alogba expressed confidence in the team’s chances, describing the championships as a crucial build-up to the Commonwealth Championships scheduled to be held in Lagos this August.
“Our goal is to improve on last year’s bronze medal performance in Angola. Exposure from recent international competitions, including the Fencing World Cup in Egypt, has better prepared our athletes for the challenge ahead,” Alogba said.
Nigeria Fencing Federation President, Adeyinka Samuel, also commended the commitment of parents and guardians, whose support continues to drive the athletes’ international participation. He reaffirmed the federation’s resolve to develop young talents and called for increased investment in fencing, highlighting Nigeria’s prospects of qualifying athletes for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The Dakar event is expected to attract leading fencing nations such as Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, and Kenya, setting the stage for a fiercely contested junior championship.