NSC Warns Head Will Roll as AIU Queries AFN over Age Falsification
Shehu Dikko has warned that heads will roll over the AIU query to AFN
Following the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) query to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to explain before January 16, 2026 why 16 out of 17 athletes entered for the 2025 African U18 & U20 Championship in Abeokuta appeared with multiple and conflicting dates of birth, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has vowed to punish officials found culpable.
On December 2, AIU queried Nigeria over the discrepancies, warning that it will instigate full scale investigations if the AFN fails to supply it with all needed information.
“The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) must provide verifiable age confirming documents, including birth certificates, passports, school records, or medical files, to establish the athletes’ true ages.
“Failure to do so will trigger a full AIU investigation into possible age manipulation, a serious violation of the Integrity Code of Conduct and World Athletics technical regulations.”
But the supervisory NSC, insisted on thorough accountability from the AFN after the story broke.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, expressed displeasure with the AFN and maintained that heads will roll if anybody is found culpable.
” At a time we are giving no place to age cheat in our Sports, this will not be swept under the carpet I can assure Nigerians. We are determined to get it right from our age grade competitions”.
The Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said the AFN must put its house in order and display true competence and diligence to restore confidence and prevent international embarrassment.
Rising from a meeting with top officials of the AFN including its Technical Director, Gabriel Okon, and National coaches, the DG insisted that officials must start paying for their incompetence especially now that the Commission is clamping down on age cheating in Nigerian Sports.
” We are aware of the query from AIU of World Athletics and for us at the National Sports Commission, this does not paint the AFN in good light and as a Commission we will not hesitate to come out hard on any official and administrator who we find culpable for this embarrassment”.
Meanwhile, the NSC has dropped two athletes from Team Nigeria camp preparing for the Africa youth Games expected to start this week in Angola, over age discrepancies.
