Olopade Warns Sports Federations Over Licence As NOC, NSC Step Up Good Governance Drive

The director-general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has warned presidents of national sports federations to familiarise themselves with the law governing their operations, stressing that failure to comply with statutory requirements could affect their licences.

Olopade gave the warning in Abuja yesterday when he opened a two-day Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC)/Olympic Solidarity Seminar on Good Governance for presidents of national sports federations.

He specifically drew the attention of federation leaders to Section 16 of the law establishing the NSC, which provides for the licensing and operation of sports federations.

According to him, every federation is required to obtain a licence from the NSC to operate, while Nigerian law takes precedence where there is a conflict between domestic legislation and the rules of an international federation.

He said federation presidents should study the relevant provisions and discuss them with their boards to prevent disputes with the sports authorities.

“Every federation president should go and read Section 16 and discuss Section 16 in their various boards so that those clashes that tend to come up are prevented,” Olopade said.

He added that the consequences of failing to comply with the provisions could include withdrawal of a federation’s operating licence.

The NSC boss, however, stressed that the broader objective of sports administration should remain the welfare and development of athletes.

“In our thought process, it has to be the love for the athletes, the welfare of the athletes and the thought process of ensuring that breadwinners are created through these various sports,” he said.

Olopade said sports had a wider role to play in nation-building by creating employment, supporting livelihoods and providing opportunities for young Nigerians.

“Nation-building starts with wealth creation. Nation-building starts with welfare. Through sports, we can achieve all of that,” he said.

He also highlighted the growing collaboration between the NSC and NOC, claiming that the partnership had contributed to what he described as the “most peaceful federation elections” in the country’s history.

Olopade cited the recent resolution of issues surrounding the Nigeria Basketball Federation as evidence of the ability of stakeholders to resolve disputes through dialogue and collaboration.

Earlier, NOC President, Engineer Habu Gumel, said the seminar was designed to strengthen the administrative capacity of federation leaders and improve governance across Nigerian sports.

Gumel said good governance encompassed accountability, effective administration and the ability of federations to make sustainable progress.

“Good governance has a lot of meaning. It has a lot of things to do with accountability and making progress for your national federation,” he said.

The NOC president explained that the seminar, organised with the support of Olympic Solidarity of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), would provide federation presidents with additional knowledge to improve their respective organisations.

He urged participants to take the lessons from the seminar back to their boards and apply them in ways that would directly benefit athletes.

“We work together and get our information. Then we go back to the national federations and discuss it at board meetings, so we can move forward and help our athletes to do well when they go outside the country to represent Nigeria,” Gumel said.

He noted that the seminar was part of a wider programme of activities being implemented by the NOC during the current Olympic cycle, following previous programmes focused on areas including women in sports and sports medicine.

The two-day seminar brings together presidents of national sports federations to examine governance, accountability, leadership and athlete welfare, with the aim of strengthening sports administration and improving Nigeria’s performance at international competitions.