Abuja: The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Malam Shehu Dikko, has announced sweeping reforms to safeguard the integrity of Nigerian sports, including strict enforcement of real age verification and anti-doping compliance.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) in Abuja, Dikko declared that “age falsification and doping violations will no longer be tolerated under the ongoing sports reforms.”
Dikko revealed that Nigeria has cleared all outstanding anti-doping issues and is now officially recognised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as a clean sporting nation.
“This followed the signing of the Anti-Doping Bill and clearance granted by WADA. Everything required to make Nigeria a clean country in sports has been done.
“We resolved the issues that took us to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and today Nigeria is recognised globally as a clean country in terms of doping,” he said.
He disclosed that a fully operational Anti-Doping Agency will soon be established, with funds already allocated in the national budget for the construction of a state-of-the-art anti-doping laboratory.
On age integrity, Dikko announced the creation of an Integrity Unit within the NSC to address discrepancies across sports federations. Sanctions, he said, have been approved for anyone found guilty of breaching age regulations.
“Some of the age-related issues are cumulative and date back many years. While some discrepancies may be due to poor data entry, accuracy matters. We will police federations, coaches, and athletes to ensure compliance,” he stressed.
Earlier, NOC President Habu Gumel described the AGM as a vital statutory platform to review the activities of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Fund. He praised the close collaboration between the NOC and NSC, noting that it had contributed to improved performances by Nigerian athletes.
He disclosed that 54 national teams participated in international competitions in 2025, with only four returning without medals.
NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, represented by an aide, said the medal haul reflected improved planning and stronger partnerships with federations. He emphasised that the commission’s deliberate focus was on podium performances rather than mere participation, describing federations as key operational partners in sports development.
Gumel highlighted ongoing reforms, including: the success of the Elite Athlete Development Board; plans to establish a Diaspora Athletes Board by 2026; and efforts to institutionalise integrity, infrastructure development, and dispute-resolution mechanisms.
He further disclosed that Nigeria’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games has been deemed credible, with discussions ongoing for a possible 2034 hosting opportunity. Nigeria also remains one of the leading bidders for the African Games.
Gumel lauded President Bola Tinubu for prioritising sports funding in the national budget and directing the immediate release of allocations after passage. He also commended the consolidation of sports-related allocations into a central sports development pool, which he said would guarantee predictable funding for preparations for major competitions and improve welfare for retired athletes.
The AGM was attended by officials of international sports federations, representatives of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), presidents of national sports federations, and other stakeholders in the Nigerian sports sector.