Why was Anthony Joshua in Nigeria? Boxer injured in car crash in African country

The British boxer Anthony Joshua has suffered “minor injuries” in a Nigeria car crash that saw two others die, officials have confirmed.

The two-time former world heavyweight champion had reportedly travelled to the West African country for a holiday, in the wake of his dominant win over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.

“Nigerian by blood, name and nature”

Although born in Watford, England, Joshua also has strong Nigerian roots. Mother Yeta Odusanya is Nigerian, while father Robert is Nigerian-Irish. Anthony spent part of his childhood at a boarding school in Nigeria.

“I’m a Nigerian by blood, by name, and by nature,” says the 36-year-old - whose full name is Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua - according to a July 2025 profile by Duke International Magazine.

The boxer has a street named after him in his ancestral hometown of Sagamu, in Nigeria’s southwestern Ogun State.

In the hours before Monday’s crash, Joshua had taken to Instagram to post a photo of himself unwinding with a game of table tennis during his Nigeria stay:

Joshua “sustained minor injuries” in crash, officials say

Per Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Monday’s car crash occurred near Sagamu, on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

The FRSC says the accident involved “a Lexus Jeep conveying world-renowned boxer, Anthony Joshua, and a stationary truck”.

Five adult males were involved in the crash, the FRSC said, of which two were killed, one suffered injuries, and two “escaped unhurt”. “Anthony Joshua was rescued alive and sustained minor injuries,” the body said.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the Lexus Jeep, which was suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck well packed by the side of the road,” the FRSC said.

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