[2] Born in Nigeria, Alaba Olukunle Akintola grew up in Ondo State, where his passion for running emerged during his school years.

Akintola’s breakthrough came during the 2021 National Sports Festival, held in Edo State, Nigeria, where he dominated the 200 meters event, winning gold with a time of 20.47 seconds.

Like many young athletes, Akintola has faced challenges in his pursuit of excellence, particularly the pressure of maintaining form and consistency at major competitions.

Competing against world-class sprinters from countries with better infrastructure and resources was a learning curve for Akintola, but he has continued to improve with each international outing.

With his blend of speed, agility, and versatility across multiple sprint events, Akintola is well-positioned to become one of Nigeria’s top sprinters for years to come.

Alaba Akintola’s rise in Nigerian athletics has inspired a new generation of young sprinters, especially in Ondo State, where he started his journey.

He has expressed a desire to support youth athletics programs in Nigeria, helping to nurture the next generation of sprinters who could one day follow in his footsteps.

Akintola enjoys spending time with friends and staying active outside of the track, but his primary focus remains on his sporting and academic goals.

Olukunle represented Nigeria at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he won the silver medal in the 100 metres event behind Luke Davids of South Africa.

[4][5] He was part of the team alongside Udodi Onwuzurike, Raymond Ekevwo and Favour Ashe that won bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.