Tinubu Okays Anti-doping Agency Board as NSC Secures Major Sports Reforms
*Dikko: W’Cup hope still alive, but Nigeria’s eyes fixed on the future
*Confident of strong FIFA case over DR Congo breach
*Discloses 375 medals, N50bn private funding, 140,000 jobs recorded in 2025
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has okayed the constitution of the board of the Nigerian Anti-Doping Agency, a major compliance milestone aimed at consolidating Nigeria’s status as a clean sporting nation and meeting key requirements set by global regulators.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, who made this known on Thursday while speaking with newsmen after a closed-door meeting with the President at the State House, Abuja, described the approval as a decisive step following nearly 20 years of legislative delay.
According to him, although the Anti-Doping Bill had lingered for about two decades, President Tinubu signed it into law in 2025 and has now given the go ahead for the board to be constituted, one of the critical conditions demanded by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Said Dikko: “WADA has been on our case. Mr. President signed the bill last year after almost 20 years in hiatus, and now he has approved the constitution of the board. Already, Nigeria has been cleared and declared a clean country in sports. We are on the right track”.
He stressed that his visit to the President was part of the NSC’s statutory reporting obligation, during which he submitted the Commission’s 2025 annual report and briefed the President on execution of earlier approvals and the roadmap for 2026.
His words: “It’s just a normal visit. The National Sports Commission reports to Mr. President. We came to brief him on what we have done last year and the plans for 2026. So far, Mr. President is very happy and excited with the progress”.
Commenting on Nigeria’s pending petition before FIFA over alleged breaches by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification playoffs, Dikko said the country remains confident of a favourable outcome but has moved on strategically.
Nigeria had lost the decisive playoff ticket on penalties on November 16, 2025, but subsequently filed a formal complaint, alleging that the DRC fielded unqualified players in violation of dual citizenship regulations.
“We documented what we felt were breaches and submitted to FIFA together with the NFF. It is not about being sore losers; it is about the rules. If there are breaches, you document them”, Dikko stated.
He clarified that the matter is currently before FIFA’s independent disciplinary and ethics committees.
“Even FIFA is not the one deciding. There are independent bodies who look at the rules and take decisions. When they finish, they will tell the world. But we are confident we have a good case.”
The NSC boss, however, stressed that the World Cup is no longer the centrepiece of Nigeria’s sports planning.
“We have put the World Cup behind us already. Whatever happens, it is what it is. We are focused on the next AFCON, the next WAFCON, and building for subsequent competitions”.
Dikko said 2025 marked a watershed in the implementation of the NSC’s “Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Economy,” a framework designed to reposition sports as a major economic driver.
According to him, Nigeria won nearly 375 medals across various competitions last year and recorded measurable economic gains.
“In the third quarter of 2025 alone, sports contributed about 1.2 per cent to GDP. We attracted about N50billion in private sector funding and induced almost 140,000 jobs — direct, indirect and induced — across the ecosystem” .
He noted that the Tinubu administration has shifted the performance metrics for sports beyond podium finishes.
“Sports is no longer just about medals; it is about GDP contribution, jobs created and economic value”.
Dikko further stated that sports infrastructure development was discussed with the President, with memos currently under review to fast-track projects nationwide.
“We need infrastructure to work, both elite and grassroots. That is part of what Mr. President is looking at,” he said.
On grassroots development, the NSC boss highlighted the introduction of “Invited Junior Athletes” as a symbolic 38th state during the last National Sports Festival, a move credited with discovering new talents.
He cited Nigeria’s performances at the African School Games in Algeria and the Africa Youth Games in Angola as evidence of the effectiveness of the new strategy.
Additionally, the Commission has introduced intermediate competitions for under-18 and under-20 athletes and is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Education to revive school sports, including the NUGA Games and the Principal’s Cup.
“Myself and the Minister of Education are co-chairing that effort, and provisions have been made in the 2026 budget,” Dikko disclosed.
He added that federations have been directed to prioritise grassroots development as a condition for international funding.
“If you are not showing us what you are doing domestically and at the grassroots, we cannot support you to go for international competitions”.
Dikko stated that he presented a commemorative jersey to President Tinubu in appreciation of his unprecedented presidential support for sports.
He cited recent directives ensuring timely release of budgeted sports funds once signed into law.
“Sports works with time. If monies are not released according to schedule, there will be problems. Mr. President has directed that once funds are due, they should be released immediately”, he concluded.
