NOC orders federations to align constitutions with world bodies

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has ordered all the country’s sports federations to review immediately and align their constitutions with their international federations’ rules and guidelines. The committee also wants the federations to encourage their members seeking positions in international bodies to achieve their aims, saying such moves would aid Nigeria’s sports development.

In a communiqué issued after its annual general meeting on Tuesday in Lagos, the NOC said, “all national federations have a responsibility to commence immediate review and approval of their respective constitution and statutes in line with their international federation rules and guidelines.

“All national federations must conclude matters of reviews and approval of such statutes by their congresses and international federations on or before June 30, 2018 with ratified copies submitted to the Nigeria Olympic Committee.”

The NOC disclosed its resolve to reinforce its collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports to develop Nigerian sports, saying that all stakeholders must strive to ensure that Nigerian athletes excelled at various upcoming international multi-sport games, including the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Africa Youth Games in Algiers, Algeria in 2018 and the Winter Olympic Games (Bobsled) in Korea 2018.

Other upcoming events, according to the NOC, are the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the 2019 All Africa Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

“Nigerians aspiring for positions in international federation and confederation boards should be encouraged by all means as they play very important roles in the delivery of results by athletes in the sports field.

“As a result, the “pull-him-down” syndrome, where current federation officials constitute barriers to election or re-election of eligible Nigerians should be discouraged,” it said.

The NOC observed that corporate bodies in Nigeria were not committed enough to supporting sports and appealed to such bodies and philanthropists to support sports, as “government cannot do it alone.”