Behind every great athlete lies a defining moment — a point where preparation meets opportunity and destiny begins to unfold. For Ezekiel Asuquo, that moment came in 2023 when his coach informed him about the inaugural MTN CHAMPS competition taking place on home soil in Akwa Ibom State. What seemed like just another meet would become the launchpad for a remarkable ascent.
After the opening leg in Benin, the circuit moved to Uyo, drawing athletes from schools and clubs across the country. When the 400m heats began, the atmosphere shifted. A relatively unknown runner blazed to a stunning 49.60s. The mark was not only a Personal Best (PB), but the fastest time recorded across all categories. He followed it up with a commanding 50.26s victory in the final, nearly a full second faster than the Junior Boys’ winning time. Ezekiel Asuquo had arrived.
Born in Idu-Uruan, Akwa Ibom State, Asuquo is the eldest of three siblings and the only boy. His athletic journey began modestly when he represented his school at the Maltina School Games, where a coach spotted his raw potential and took him under his wing — even providing accommodation and meals. Training was often grueling, and there were days he survived on just one or two meals. Still, he endured.
His heroics at MTN CHAMPS Uyo (Season 1) earned him an MVP invitation to the Grand Final in Abuja. Determined to break 49 seconds after falling short in Uyo, Asuquo returned stronger, storming to a new PB of 48.70s to claim Silver in the Junior Boys’ 400m. He also contributed to Team MVP’s GOLD in the mixed 4x400m and Silver in the 4x100m relay.
That performance secured him a Golden Ticket to join Team MTN at the Making of Champions (MoC) Athletics Academy in Lagos under Olympic bronze medallist Deji Aliu. Within nine months, his transformation was evident. At MTN CHAMPS Season 3 in Benin, he opened with a massive PB of 47.46s. At the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays in Lagos, he claimed Silver in the 200m before capturing 400m GOLD in another PB of 47.26s.
Returning to the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo for the Season 3 Grand Final, Asuquo completed a memorable 200m/400m double, winning GOLD in 21.39s and 47.49s respectively — a full-circle moment from where it all began.
His domestic dominance earned him selection for Team Akwa Ibom at the 2025 National Sports Festival in Ogun State, where he ran 47.17s in the heats and helped secure Silver in the 4x400m relay.
At the National U20 Trials in Sagamu, he delivered another breakthrough, clocking 46.42s to finish third and qualify for the African U18/U20 Championships in Abeokuta. He did more than qualify — he announced himself to the continent.
Speaking with Making of Champions afterwards, a delighted Asuquo had this to say: “Coming here, I was expecting to run a 46 because I was improving and running PBs almost every day during training, so I knew a 46 was going to come. We didn’t know it was going to be 46.4s: we were expecting a 46.6s. I believe in myself, I trust in my coach, and I also believe in God. I prayed and it happened. I hope to do a PB at the African Championships and maybe win a medal for my country.”
At his first major international assignment, Asuquo stunned observers by running 45.83s, his first time under 46 seconds, to win Silver and emerge as Nigeria’s top U20 quarter-miler. Though Nigeria’s 4x400m team was later disqualified despite crossing the line first, his closing leg performance turned heads.
In an interview with Making of Champions after his first international engagement, he said: “Representing my country is a dream, and I am happy to be competing for my country, making my country and name proud, including my coach, teammates, and friends. I’m so happy: I didn’t expect to come in the top three because all the athletes in the final were faster than me. I had fun coming away with the Silver medal”.
The medals kept coming. At the Nigerian Championships, he claimed Silver in the 400m final. At the CAA Region II Championships in Ghana, he secured two GOLD medals in the men’s and mixed 4x400m relays, plus Silver in the individual 400m. His season culminated at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh — his first competition outside Africa — where he made the 400m final, helped Nigeria to Bronze in the 4x100m, and claimed GOLD in the mixed 4x400m, setting a Games Record.
From a schoolboy training under harsh conditions to a decorated international medallist, Ezekiel Asuquo’s rise has been relentless.
Inspired by two-time Olympian Emmanuel Ojeli and World Champion Collen Kebinatshipi, Asuquo now dares to dream even bigger — becoming the first man to break 43 seconds in the 400m. With global competitions ahead, including the World Relays, African Senior Championships, and Commonwealth Games, his trajectory suggests that the best chapters are still unwritten.
