The Federal Government has inaugurated the Technical Board of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre (NADC), reaffirming its commitment to promoting integrity, fairness and excellence in sports in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
According to an official statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Chris Ugwuegbulam, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON, described the inauguration, held on Thursday in Abuja, as a defining moment in Nigeria’s sporting history.
Akume said the country had moved “from commitment to structure, from policy to action, and from internal management to a fully constituted, independent and law-backed institution.”
He explained that the inauguration followed the enactment of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2025, which established the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre as a statutory body with the legal authority to implement Nigeria’s anti-doping obligations in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code.
The SGF acknowledged that Nigeria’s international sporting reputation had faced challenges over the years due to doping violations, stressing that the establishment of the Centre and the inauguration of its Technical Board represent the Federal Government’s decisive response to safeguarding the integrity and credibility of Nigerian sports.
Charging the newly inaugurated board members, Akume said their appointment was a call to service rather than ceremony, urging them to uphold the law, protect athletes and preserve the credibility of Nigerian sports through professionalism, independence and accountability.
He outlined the Board’s core responsibilities to include educating athletes and stakeholders, preventing doping violations, protecting clean athletes and enforcing anti-doping regulations where necessary. He also urged the Board to extend anti-doping education beyond elite competitions to grassroots sports, schools, community clubs, sports academies and national sports federations across the country.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports Development, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, congratulated the board members and pledged sustained legislative support for the successful implementation of Nigeria’s anti-doping programme.
Senator Ningi commended President Tinubu for giving unprecedented attention to sports development, noting that increased budgetary allocations to the sector reflect the administration’s commitment to repositioning sports as a strategic national asset.
“I have been involved in sports oversight since 1999, and I can confidently say that the level of attention and funding being accorded the sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is among the most significant we have witnessed. The President deserves commendation for recognising the immense value of sports to national development,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, described the inauguration and swearing-in of the Technical Board as a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s ongoing sports sector reforms.
He said the event marked another decisive step in Nigeria’s sporting rebirth under the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that integrity, accountability and sustainable sports development would define the country’s future sporting success.
Describing doping as a major threat to athletes, sports federations and Nigeria’s international reputation, Dikko urged the Board to serve as the “internal compass” of the nation’s sports ecosystem by protecting clean athletes and promoting integrity at all levels of competition.
He also called for the speedy establishment of a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in Nigeria, saying the facility would reduce testing costs and turnaround time, strengthen Africa’s anti-doping capacity and generate foreign exchange through regional service delivery.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO), Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni, described the inauguration as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to safeguard the integrity of sports and strengthen the country’s standing in international competitions.
He said the establishment of the Centre demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerian athletes and ensuring compliance with global anti-doping standards, while conveying the goodwill of the SGF to members of the Technical Board and other stakeholders.
The Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, assured the Federal Government that the Board would discharge its responsibilities with integrity, professionalism and unwavering commitment to protecting the credibility of Nigerian sports.
He pledged that members would diligently implement the provisions of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2025, while ensuring full compliance with international anti-doping standards.
Olopade also acknowledged the contributions of the National Assembly, the National Sports Commission, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other stakeholders in the establishment of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre, describing the inauguration as a historic milestone for Nigerian sports.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre, Mainasara Illo, thanked the SGF for his commitment to sports development and assured that the Centre would carry out its statutory responsibilities in accordance with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) best practices.
The Technical Board is chaired by Alhaji Hon. Barrister Rasheed Olarenwaju Kazeem and comprises Dr. Justine Chidi Okoroji Jnr., Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Gyaran, MON, Pharm. Femi Ayorinde, Barrister Ben Okolo, Barrister Mrs. Cynthia N. Aloke, Colonel Abbas Mohammed (Rtd), and Mainasara Illo, who serves as the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, Chairman Rasheed Olarenwaju Kazeem accepted the responsibility entrusted to the members by President Tinubu and assured Nigerians that the Board would faithfully discharge its statutory mandate and justify the confidence reposed in it.
