Nigeria Olympic Committee Adopts Zero-Tolerance Policy on Athlete Exploitation
The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has unveiled a landmark safeguarding policy designed to protect athletes and participants in sports from abuse, harassment, discrimination, and exploitation.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, NOC President Engineer Habu Gumel described the Nigeria Safeguarding Sports Policy as a framework aligned with global best practices and the principles of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
‘Nigeria’s Safeguarding in Sports Policy is a formal declaration of a zero-tolerance stance against all forms of abuse and misconduct in sports,’ Gumel said.
‘It establishes clear standards, reporting mechanisms and accountability structures for all stakeholders, from grassroots programmes to elite national teams.’
Gumel urged national sports federations to domesticate and implement the policy, appoint safeguarding officers, and strengthen education and awareness programmes.
He emphasized that the welfare and dignity of athletes, particularly children, female athletes, and persons with disabilities, must remain central to sports development in Nigeria.
In his keynote address, Dr. Olajide Adebola, Chairman of the NOC Safeguarding Commission, stressed that safeguarding extends beyond physical safety to include protection from psychological, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
‘A safeguarding failure is a leadership failure,’ Adebola declared, noting that confidential reporting channels, investigation procedures, and sanctions for offenders are now embedded in the policy.
