One of Nigeria’s sports legends, Col. Abbas Mohammed (Retd), has commended the Federal Government for considering him worthy of being part of the Technical Board of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre (NADC), which was inaugurated last Friday, in Abuja.

From the mid-1980s till the late 1990s, there was perhaps no more beloved and famous marathoner in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region than Abbas Mohammed. He was almost the sole reason many Nigerians followed long distance races. And for almost three decades, his national record of 2:16.06 seconds set on September 11, 1990, at a full marathon in Lagos was unbroken.

Abbas also stamped his authority at the international level, competing with the world’s best marathoners at the Seoul ’88 Olympics, Rome ’95 World Military Games in Italy, as well as the 1997 Summer World University Games in Sicily, Italy. Before then, he participated in the Los Angeles ’86 marathon event.

Abbas Mohammed, who is currently the Director of Sports, Nigeria Army School in Bio, Borno State, told The Guardian yesterday that his inclusion on the board of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre is another milestone in his sporting career.

“I am so happy to be part of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre. It means the President Bola Tinubu-led government takes records of those who have contributed to the development of sports in this country.”

“I am grateful to those who recommended me, and I will do my best to ensure the board makes a meaningful impact,” he said.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja,  Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator George Akume, described the event as “a defining moment in Nigeria’s sporting history,” noting that the country has moved “from commitment to structure, from policy to action, and from internal management to a fully constituted, independent and law-backed institution.”

Akume emphasised that the board’s mandate is a call to service, charging members to uphold professionalism, independence, and accountability while extending anti-doping education from elite competitions to grassroots sports, schools, and community clubs nationwide.

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, hailed the inauguration as a landmark achievement, urging the board to ensure full compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, while calling for the establishment of a WADA-accredited laboratory in Nigeria to strengthen Africa’s anti-doping capacity.

The inauguration follows the enactment of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2025, which established the NADC as a statutory body with the legal authority to implement Nigeria’s anti-doping obligations in line with the World Anti-Doping Code.

In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Board, Rasheed Olarenwaju Kazeem, assured Nigerians that it would not disappoint in fulfilling its statutory obligations, reinforcing the country’s determination to protect clean athletes and preserve the credibility of Nigerian sports.

Other members of the Technical Board are Justine Chidi Okoroji Jnr, Dr Ilbrahim Abubakar Gyaran, Femi Ayorinde, Ben Okolo, Mrs Cynthia N. Aloke, Col. Abbas Mohammed (Retd).  Mainasara Illo is the Executive Secretary.