Cycling · Careers
How to build a cycling career in Nigeria
From your first club ride to the African Championships and Europe: every step, the real costs, what riders earn and the careers around the sport.
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Careers in cycling
Your road to competitive cycling
On Sunday mornings in Lagos, Abuja, Lafia and Ilorin, club riders in bright jerseys roll out before the traffic wakes up. Some ride for fitness, some for fun, and a few dream of the African Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games. Nigerian cycling has already shown it can get there: Ese Ukpeseraye became African road race champion in 2023, rode at the Paris 2024 Olympics and now races in Europe.
This page is for young riders, parents, PE teachers and club organisers. It explains how to start, how riders are selected for Team Nigeria, the road and track routes, how cyclists actually fund themselves, and the careers around the sport: coach, commissaire (race official), mechanic and organiser. Every fact was checked on 1 October 2026.
One honest truth before you start: cycling is one of the most expensive sports in Nigeria, because racing bikes, parts and kit are mostly imported, and almost every Nigerian rider is an amateur. In May 2026 the federation's own vice-president said Nigerian riders were still using ordinary bicycles while rivals brought machines built for each event. Talent is not the problem. Equipment, racing opportunities and patience are, and this page shows how riders get around them.
Career facts · Checked 1 October 2026
Nigerian cycling careers in numbers
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1972
Federation founded
The Cycling Federation of Nigeria, affiliated to the UCI.
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2023
African road champion
Ese Ukpeseraye won the African road race title.
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9
Para-track gold medals
Nigeria topped the table at the 2026 African Para-Track Championships in Abuja.
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23
Track medals at home
Abuja 2026 African Track Championships: 7 gold, 7 silver, 9 bronze.
The pathway at a glance
Six stages from first ride to Team Nigeria
Ages are a guide, not a rule. Cycling is a sport where riders often peak in their late twenties, so a late start is not the end.
Any age
Learn to ride well and safely
Ride every day you can. Learn to brake, corner and ride in a straight line next to other riders, always with a helmet.
Age 10 to 16
Join a registered club
Clubs give you group rides, coaching and your first races. Ask your State Cycling Association which clubs are affiliated.
Age 13 to 18
State and national races
State championships, open road races and the national championships are where federation coaches see riders.
Age 15 to 20
Road or track: find your speciality
Abuja's velodrome hosts national and African track championships; road racing happens on highways and city circuits.
Age 17 and up
Team Nigeria selection
National championships act as trials. In April 2026 the national track championships picked the team for the African Championships.
Age 18 and up
Race abroad with a UCI team
Ukpeseraye joined the European team Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto Generation in 2024 after years of racing in Africa.
Step by step
Eight steps to a cycling career
Follow these in order. Each step builds on the one before it.
Get a safe bike and learn to ride in a group
You do not need a carbon racing bike to start. You need a bike that fits you, brakes that work, a helmet on every ride and the skill to ride close to other people without wobbling. Practise on quiet roads or closed circuits, never alone in heavy traffic. Riding in a bunch, called the peloton, is a skill you can learn only by doing it with experienced riders.
Join a club affiliated to your State Cycling Association
Every state has a cycling association under the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), which was founded in 1972 and is affiliated to the UCI, the world governing body. A club gives you group training, older riders to learn from, help with equipment and entry into official races. In Lagos, start with the Lagos State Cycling Association; elsewhere, ask the CFN or your state sports council. Our contact page lists the details we hold.
Train with a plan, not just with your legs
Cycling rewards patient, regular training more than wild efforts. A coach will build your endurance with long steady rides, your speed with short sprints and your recovery with rest days. Keep a simple diary of every ride: distance, time and how you felt. It will show your progress and help any coach who works with you later.
Race, and keep a record of your results
Results are your CV in cycling. Enter state races, open road races and the national championships. Selection for Nigeria is usually made at national championships: in April 2026 the National Sports Commission and the CFN used the national track championships at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium velodrome in Abuja to pick the team for the African Track and Para-Track Championships on home soil.
Choose your discipline: road, track or para
Road racing (road race and time trial) is where Ukpeseraye won her African title. Track cycling (sprint, keirin, team pursuit and more) happens on a banked velodrome; Abuja's was rated among the best in Africa by the president of the African cycling confederation in 2022. Para cycling is Nigeria's strongest area today: our para riders topped the medal table at the 2026 African Para-Track Championships in Abuja with 9 gold medals.
Earn your Team Nigeria place
Team Nigeria rides at the African Championships, the African Games (next in Cairo, from 20 January to 7 February 2027) and, for the best, the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. Before Glasgow 2026 the NSC and the CFN agreed a partnership with British Cycling so that Team Nigeria riders could train in Manchester. Nigeria's best Commonwealth result came there: 5th in the para tandem time trial by Oyindamola Tijani and pilot Okeyah Bethel.
Go abroad through a real team
Most top Nigerian riders will need to race in Europe to reach world level, because Nigeria has few international races. Ukpeseraye has said she was ready to stop cycling if she had not signed with a team after Paris 2024, because she was tired of training without races. A UCI-registered team and a written contract come first. The UCI's World Cycling Centre Africa in Paarl, South Africa, has also run training camps for promising African road riders.
Train clean and protect your body
Nigeria's National Anti-Doping Act 2025 made the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre the statutory body for anti-doping, and its Technical Board was inaugurated in Abuja in July 2026, with education reaching schools, clubs and academies. Check every medicine and supplement, and never accept a “recovery” injection from anyone.
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Pay
Making a living from cycling
Be honest with yourself and your family: most Nigerian cyclists earn little or nothing from racing. They fund themselves through jobs, family support, club help, state and federal support for national team riders, and sometimes a European team contract. These are the figures we could verify.
| Level | What we could verify | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nigerian domestic racing | No reliable published figures for salaries or prize money | SitesNG |
| UCI Women's WorldTeam, 2026 | Minimum salary €38,000 a year (€31,768 for a first-year pro) on employed contracts | Velora Cycling, January 2026 |
| UCI Women's ProTeam, 2026 | Minimum €22,000 a year on employed contracts | Velora Cycling, January 2026 |
| UCI Continental teams | This is the level of Ukpeseraye's team; we found no published minimum salary for it | SitesNG |
| Abuja velodrome | Rented out for events at about €375 a day, which has kept riders off the track | Cyclingnews, August 2024 |
What this means for you: keep studying or learn a trade while you race. The riders who last are the ones who do not need to win next Sunday to eat. A job in the bike industry, as a mechanic, shop worker or tour guide, keeps you close to the sport while you chase results.
Beyond racing
Careers around the sport
Nigerian cycling needs far more than riders. Every race needs officials, every club needs a coach, and every bike needs a mechanic.
| Career | How to start in Nigeria | Next level |
|---|---|---|
| Commissaire (race official) | Ask the CFN or your State Cycling Association about the next commissaire course. In December 2019 the CFN trained more than 30 new officials at the University of Ilorin, with an exam and certificates at the end. | National panel through the National Cycling Commissaires Association of Nigeria, then UCI international commissaire. |
| Coach | Start by helping at your club, then ask the CFN which coaching courses it recognises. The UCI World Cycling Centre runs a Coach Development Programme: Level 1 and 2 courses, then a Diploma at its Aigle headquarters in Switzerland. | National team and international coaching roles. |
| Mechanic | Learn in a bike shop or at your club. Every race, team and shop needs someone who can build wheels, fit gears and repair a bike fast. | Team mechanic at national and international races. |
| Para cycling pilot or guide | Strong riders can pilot tandems for visually impaired athletes, as Okeyah Bethel did for Oyindamola Tijani at Glasgow 2026. | Commonwealth, African and Paralympic para cycling teams. |
| Event organiser | Volunteer at state races and club events, then organise sanctioned rides through your association. | Federation, sponsor and race management roles. |
The NSC chairman, Shehu Dikko, said in January 2026 that cycling should be taken “to the schools and grassroots”. Every school programme will need coaches and officials, so the jobs are coming.
Women's cycling
The path for girls and women
Nigeria's women have won most of the country's big cycling medals, and the path for girls is open.
- Ego Uzoho won time trial gold at the 2003 African Games in Abuja.
- Nigeria's first African Championships medal, in 2013, was silver in the elite women's team time trial.
- Ese Ukpeseraye, born in 1999, won five medals at the 2021 African Track Championships, the 2023 African road race title, silver and bronze at the 2023 African Games, and rode at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Girls often face extra worries about safety on the road and about cost. Train in groups, with a club and a responsible adult, and ask your State Cycling Association about girls' and women's races. Read more on our Ese Ukpeseraye page and our achievements page.
Stay safe
Road safety, costs and scams
Cycling is a joy, but the road is dangerous and equipment is expensive. Protect yourself and your money.
Six rules to stay safe and solvent
- Wear a helmet on every ride, and use lights and bright clothing early in the morning or near dusk.
- Train in a group or on closed roads. Never race other traffic.
- Buy used bikes and parts only from people your club knows, and check the frame for cracks.
- Never pay a stranger who promises a “contract in Europe”. Real teams are registered with the UCI and offer written contracts.
- Check every medicine and supplement against anti-doping rules before you take it.
- If you crash and hit your head, stop riding and see a doctor, even if you feel fine.
A word for parents: ask who coaches your child, where they train and who rides with them. A good club will welcome your questions.
Advice from the stars
What Nigerian cycling wants you to know
Every quote below was checked word for word against the outlet named under it. We add one practical lesson to each.
I used to feel intimidated being in the peloton during races. But my confidence has grown thanks to the mentorship from my coach and teammates.
Ese Ukpeseraye2023 African road race champion and Paris 2024 Olympian
Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto Generation team profile, WMNCyclingThe lesson: Fear fades with practice and good mentors. Ride with people who will teach you.
We have a very beautiful track. Our track is the best in Africa, but we don't use it.
Ese UkpeserayeSpeaking at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Cyclingnews, 9 August 2024The lesson: Facilities alone do not make champions. Push your club and association for regular training time.
… if physically challenged athletes can win medals, then we too can succeed even without the best equipment.
Dr. James AmiduVice-president, Cycling Federation of Nigeria
Voice of Nigeria, 16 May 2026The lesson: Do not wait for the perfect bike. Train hard with what you have.
Let's take cycling to the people. Let them own it.
Shehu DikkoChairman, National Sports Commission
Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, 28 January 2026The lesson: Cycling is for everyone, not only the rich. Start in your school and street.
Your first move
Where to start this week
You can start this week. Tick these off:
- Check your bike: brakes, tyres and chain. Buy or borrow a helmet that fits.
- Find a club near you through your State Cycling Association.
- Ride three or four times a week and keep a simple training diary.
- Enter your first local race or club time trial.
- Keep up your school grades: education keeps every door open.
- Adults: ask about the next commissaire or coaching course.
- Parents and coaches: contact the CFN for official programmes and race calendars.
Find the federation's address on our Contact Nigerian cycling page, and read the story of the sport on our history of cycling in Nigeria page.
Keep exploring
Explore Nigerian cycling
History of cycling in Nigeria
From Armstrong Cycling Club in 1956 to today.Read more
Nigerian cycling achievements
African medals and the 2026 Abuja championships.Read more
Nigerian cyclists
Pioneers and today's African champions.Read more
Contact Nigerian cycling
The federation and the Lagos association.Read more
Quick answers
Cycling careers in Nigeria: your questions
How do I start competitive cycling in Nigeria?
Get a safe bike and a helmet, then join a club affiliated to your State Cycling Association, which works under the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN). The club will help you train and enter state races, and the national championships are where Team Nigeria riders are selected.
Who selects the Nigerian cycling team?
The Cycling Federation of Nigeria with the National Sports Commission. In April 2026 the national track championships at the Abuja velodrome served as the selection event for the African Track and Para-Track Championships held in Abuja in May 2026.
Can Nigerian cyclists earn a living from the sport?
Very few. Most Nigerian riders are amateurs who fund themselves through jobs, family and club support. A rider on a European team can earn a salary: in 2026 the UCI minimum for a Women's WorldTeam rider on an employed contract is 38,000 euros a year, but most teams below that level pay much less.
Has a Nigerian cyclist been to the Olympics?
Yes. Ese Ukpeseraye, the 2023 African road race champion, rode at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She races for the UCI team Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto Generation.
How do I become a cycling official in Nigeria?
Ask the Cycling Federation of Nigeria or your State Cycling Association about commissaire courses. In December 2019 the CFN trained more than 30 new commissaires at the University of Ilorin, and those who passed the exam received certificates and invitations to officiate.
Why is cycling so expensive in Nigeria?
Racing bikes, parts and kit are mostly imported. In May 2026 the CFN vice-president said Nigerian riders were still using ordinary bicycles while other African nations used machines designed for each event, and the federation is working to buy modern racing bikes.
Is there para cycling in Nigeria?
Yes, and it is one of Nigeria's strongest areas. Nigeria topped the medal table at the 2026 African Para-Track Championships in Abuja with 9 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals, and entered a para track cyclist at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.