Saturday the 28th of September, 2024 was historic in the annals of Nigerian bodybuilding. The ‘Season Twelve’ of the annual Mr Flex Nigeria national bodybuilding championship took place at its traditional venue of the Gymnasium of the National Institute for Sports within the hallowed National Stadium Complex in Surulere, Lagos State.
The road to show day however began a fortnight before, on Saturday 14 September in front of the famous Ojez lounge situated within the same complex with the ‘Fit Up Naija’ health and fitness event, coordinated by Steco Productions (organisers of the Mr Flex Nigeria event) in conjunction with the Nollywood Ojez joggers club. This was extended to the following Saturday, the 21st, at the same venue, and it was a huge hit, as the accompanying images show! On to the main event, contest day proper, being the following Saturday the 28th, with quite a number of new faces as well as some of the old guard. It was still an exciting spectacle nonetheless, featuring competition across the usual categories- Bikini classic (for the ladies), Men’s Physique, Classic bodybuilding and the main course, the Men’s Open bodybuilding. Victory Okeke took top honours in the bikini event, while newcomers Abiodun Adedeji and Zacchaeus David took first and second places respectively in the Men’s Physique category, with Ahmed Badmus securing the second runner-up spot. Moving onto the Open division, a decision was taken to merge both the lightweight and middleweight categories this year to enhance the level of competition, and at the end of it, Samuel Ojo Kazeem from Ikare in Ondo State came out trumps, beating all comers to the top spot. James Chali from Plateau State secured the first runner-up position in this combined category, while Godfrey Odu secured the bronze medal. The real talking point of the event was the Men’s Open heavyweight division, where Abu Umar Sadiq from Abuja claimed the honours, beating another newcomer, Uchenna Nwokoro from Port Harcourt into second place, while Theophilus Ugwu of Lagos State came second runner-up here. The final faceoff for the overall title featured Sadiq up against Kazeem, as well as Nwokoro thrown in for good measure, where Sadiq survived a scare to become the first bodybuilder based in the nation’s capital to claim the title of ‘Mr Flex Nigeria’ in the event’s 14-year history.
As always, this year’s event served as a showcase for some of the best Nigerian raw and emerging bodybuilding talent, and it was graced by quite a few famous faces: in attendance were musical artist and civil activist Mr Charles ‘Charly Boy’ Oputa, also known affectionately as the ‘Area Father’; actor Mr Rycardo Agbor from Nollywood (Nigeria’s world-famous movie industry); female IFBB Pro Adebola Sadiq; and a former ‘Mr Africa’ as well as the current WFF Nigeria Vice-President, Mr Timi Angalepele. Retired Nigerian bodybuilder and legend, Mr Abdulrasaq Kazeem, headed the judges' team as always, while Ms Victory Akingbade, popularly known as ‘Vicky Dancer’, a dance and fitness instructor was also in attendance. The event also saw the formal launch of the ‘Powersport’ fitness magazine by the organizers, which is intended to promote health, fitness and power sports across Africa.
Overall, this year’s edition was another satisfying experience, and kudos goes to Steco Productions, headed by Mr Stephen Aboyi Okolie-Odene, for their efforts to maintain a sense of continuity, as well as giving upcoming athletes something to look forward to each year, irrespective of various challenges. We are of the opinion that although there is lots of room for improvement in certain areas, the initiative is a laudable one as it continues to serve as a foundational platform for Nigerian talent. Enjoy the photo collection below!
The NBD.
