The National Sports Commission (NSC) has demanded comprehensive accountability from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) following concerns raised by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of World Athletics over alleged age discrepancies involving some young Nigerian athletes.

 

The AIU had formally written to Nigeria requesting clarification on conflicting age records linked to several athletes who competed at the CAA U18/U20 Championships in Abeokuta, prompting the NSC to summon top AFN officials for an emergency review.

 

Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the development, warning that anyone found culpable will face serious consequences.

 

“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,” Dikko said. “We are determined to get it right from our age-grade competitions.”

 

The NSC Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, also condemned the situation, stressing that the AFN must demonstrate competence and diligence to restore both national and international confidence.

 

Rising from a meeting with the AFN’s Technical Director, Gabriel Okon, and several national coaches, Olopade insisted that officials must begin to take responsibility for lapses, especially as the Commission intensifies its crackdown on age cheating in Nigerian sports.

 

“We are aware of the query from the AIU of World Athletics, and for us at the National Sports Commission, this does not paint the AFN in good light,” the DG said. “We will not hesitate to come out hard on any official or administrator found culpable for this embarrassment.”

 

He reaffirmed the Commission’s stance, reminding sports federations, coaches and administrators of the resolution reached at the last Council of Sports Meeting in Calabar, which mandated a strict clampdown on age manipulation across all sports.

 

“Youth competitions are for developmental purposes; the win-at-all-cost syndrome must stop. The NSC needs the collaboration of every stakeholder to put this to an end in our sports,” Olopade added.

 

The NSC has therefore directed the AFN to urgently address the AIU’s concerns and ensure Nigeria’s name is cleared without further reputational damage.

 

Meanwhile, as part of the Commission’s intensified measures, two athletes have been dropped from Team Nigeria’s camp ahead of the Africa Youth Games scheduled to begin this week in Angola, following the discovery of discrepancies in their age records.