Nigeria’s National Anti-Doping Agency has been accused of not complying with the World Anti-Doping Code and has been handed a deadline of December 8 by WADA to comply or face damaging consequences, The PUNCH reports.
WADA said that NADO risked having Nigerian athletes disqualified from the Paris 2024 Olympics and other major global competitions.
The World Anti-Doping Agency which also accused Venezuela and Tunisia of the same offence made this known at its executive committee meeting in Montreal, Canada last Thursday.
WADA in a statement made available to our correspondent said the country’s anti-doping agency had not addressed several critical requirements after an audit was carried out October 2022.
It also revealed that should NADO fail to meet the stipulated deadline of December 8, it would lose its WADA privileges until the reinstatement conditions are met.
The statement from WADA to NADO partly read, “The Nigeria NADO will be ineligible to host any event hosted or organised or co-hosted or coorganised by WADA.
“The Nigeria NADO’s representatives will be ineligible to participate in any WADA Independent Observer Program or WADA Outreach Program or other WADA activities.
“The Nigeria NADO will not receive any WADA funding (either directly or indirectly) relating to the development of specific activities or participation in specific programs.
“The Nigeria NADO’s representatives will be ineligible to sit as members of the boards or committees or other bodies of any Signatory (or its members) or association of signatories until the reinstatement conditions set out below are met (see ISCCS Article B.3.1 (d)).
“Nigeria will not be awarded the right to host regional, continental and World Championships, and Events organized by major event Organisations, until the reinstatement conditions set out below are met (see ISCCS Article B.3.1 (e.1));
“Nigeria’s flag will not be flown at regional, continental and World Championships, and events, organised by major event organisations (other than the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games), until the reinstatement conditions set out below are met.”