NIGERIA TO HOST FIRST IFBB PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDING CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2026
By: Gyang Dakwo
Nigeria will host the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, IFBB, Professional Championships in October 2026. It will be the first professional bodybuilding event to take place in the country, and it will also include the launch of a new national Fitness and Bodybuilding League.
The international competition and the start of the league mark an important step in Nigeria’s sports development efforts.
President of IFBB Nigeria, Soye Elekima, said on Monday that the league will begin in April 2026. It will feature several stages including the Gym League, LGA League, Regional League, All University League, National League, Pro Qualifier, and Pro Event League.
He explained that the decision to host the professional event came after the successful completion of the Mr Universe Nigeria competition, which was held from October 10 to 12 at the Muson Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Elekima said the upcoming championship will attract top athletes from across Africa and other parts of the world. He also said the national league will help build a clear path for Nigerian bodybuilders to grow from amateur to professional levels.
According to him, the initiative supports IFBB Nigeria’s wider goal of encouraging health, fitness, and sports entrepreneurship across the country.
“Nigeria will be hosting the professional event in October, while the league begins in April,” he said. “The local league will move from the state level to the regional and national levels, then to the Ultimate Night of Champions, the Pro Qualifier, and finally to the professional event. We are also starting the Fitness and Bodybuilding League in April in partnership with the National Sports Commission, the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, and other key partners.”
Elekima said the league will create opportunities for talent development and sustained growth at the grassroots, while the professional championship will place Nigeria on the global bodybuilding stage.
He pointed to the success of Nigerian athletes such as Samuel Dauda, Andrew Jacks, and David Bodebi as evidence of the country’s rising profile in bodybuilding.
At the recent Mr Universe Nigeria competition, Samuel Akinrolabu from Rivers State won the overall gold medal. The event drew participants from more than twelve countries, including the United States, Spain, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.
Akinrolabu and David Zacheaus Gold from Ondo State both earned professional bodybuilding cards, which will allow them to compete in international IFBB Pro League events.
Alfred Sogomote from Bayelsa took the bronze medal, while Edward Achi, a Nigeria Police officer representing Kaduna, also won gold in his category.
Elekima praised all the athletes for their performance, saying their achievements show how much Nigeria has invested in developing bodybuilding from the grassroots.
The Mr Universe Nigeria event was officially sanctioned by the IFBB and judged by international officials, confirming Nigeria’s growing importance in the world of bodybuilding.
