AFN faces AIU sanctions over age manipulation allegation
The Athletic Federation of Nigeria, AFN, is under intense scrutiny as the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, investigates widespread age discrepancies among athletes who competed at the 2025 African U18 and U20 Championships in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
If the federation fails to provide convincing proof to clear the allegations, both the athletes and the AFN itself risk suspensions, annulment of results, stripped medals, and bans from future competitions under the World Athletics Rule Book.
World Athletics makes its position clear: ‘Any athlete who falsifies documents, misrepresents age, or competes under false identity shall be disqualified from the competition. Further sanctions, including suspension and annulment of results, shall be imposed by the Athletics Integrity Unit in accordance with the Integrity Code of Conduct.’
Age manipulation and falsification are treated as serious integrity violations, on par with doping, and the AIU has full authority to investigate and enforce penalties.
Crucially, national federations, including the AFN, carry the responsibility of verifying and certifying athlete ages before competition.
This responsibility extends to federation officials themselves, meaning that the AFN president, secretary general, or any officer found complicit in failing to verify ages or permitting falsification can also face sanctions, including suspension or removal from office.
The AIU’s letter dated December 2, 2025, listed 17 Nigerian athletes with conflicting dates of birth.
Among them are Juliana Ademola Temitope, entered with a 2006 birth date but previously listed as 2005; Esther Afigbo, whose records show 2002 (twice with different dates but same month) and 2006; Ibrahim Ajibare, recorded variously as born in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009; and Emmanuel Blessing, who appeared with both 2007 and 2002 dates of birth.
The discrepancies extend further: Jennifer Chioma Nwachukwu (also listed as Chioma Elochukwu) has been registered with birth years ranging from 2006 to 2010; Christian Dickson shows records of 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008; Cynthia Chioma Nweke has conflicting records between 2006 and 2007; and Comfort Anietie James has dates spanning 1998 to 2000.
The AIU warned that these discrepancies may point to deliberate attempts to compete in age‑restricted categories while ineligible, or the use of falsified documents to gain entry.
Head of the AIU, Brett Clothier, stressed that such conduct breaches Rule 2.3 of the Reporting, Investigation and Prosecution Rules, Rule 3.3.1 of the Integrity Code of Conduct, and Rules 3.1 and 3.2 of the World Athletics Technical Rules on age categories.
The AFN has been ordered to provide documentary evidence, including passports, birth certificates, school records, or medical files, to establish the correct ages of the athletes.
The federation has until January 16, 2026, to respond. Failure to do so will trigger formal investigations, with sanctions looming not only for the athletes but also for the AFN itself, and potentially its top officials.
This scandal has cast a dark shadow over Nigeria’s athletics programme, threatening to undermine the credibility of its youth development system.
With the AIU insisting that federations bear responsibility for verifying ages, the AFN now faces one of the most serious integrity crises in its history, with both athletes and administrators at risk of punishment.
