Anti-Doping:Ex NUJ President Kicks Against Mainasara Illo’s Appointment As Executive Secretary …Says It May Trigger International Sanctions

A former President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Mr Lanre Ogundipe has warned of the dire consequences of appointing Mainasara Illo, a candidate without the requisite credentials for the anti-doping position.

According to him, this may attract international sanctions which ultimately may cause a setback for Nigeria after many years of meticulous planning.

Ogundipe also warned that Nigeria’s hard won sporting reform risks being undermined by political patronage.

The former NUJ President in a strongly worded petition to the chairman of the Senate committee on sports maintained that “it therefore holds a historic responsibility to ensure that leadership of the agency reflects the highest standards of expertise, independence, and regulatory credibility.”

He said: “Nigeria’s long and painful journey to restore credibility within the global sporting system may now face one of its most critical tests.After nearly two decades of institutional struggle to comply with international anti-doping regulations, troubling signals are emerging that political considerations may once again be creeping into a technical regulatory space where competence — not patronage — must prevail.

“At the centre of the controversy is the proposed appointment of Mainasara Illo as Executive Secretary of Nigeria’s newly established national anti-doping authority.

“For many within the sports governance community, the nomination has raised a deeper question: can a regulatory institution designed to protect the integrity of Nigerian sport survive if its leadership is determined by political convenience rather than professional expertise?”

Ogundipe going down memory lane explained that the reform was as a result of major crisis involving some of Nigerian athletes.

Continuing, he said; “Nigeria did not arrive at the creation of a national anti-doping authority easily.For nearly twenty years, the country struggled to maintain compliance with the global anti-doping regime administered by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“During that period, Nigeria operated through temporary anti-doping arrangements that lacked strong legal authority and institutional independence.These weaknesses repeatedly exposed the country to the risk of sanctions under the global anti-doping code.The situation became even more sensitive following a series of high-profile doping scandals involving Nigerian athletes.

“Among the most prominent cases were those involving Olympic sprinter Blessing Okagbare, investigations involving Divine Oduduru, and the suspension imposed on long-distance runner Blessing Solomon.Each case added another layer of international scrutiny to Nigeria’s anti-doping system.

“The message from international regulators was unmistakable: Nigeria needed a credible, independent, and technically competent anti-doping authority.The Law That Saved Nigeria from Possible Sanctions.

“The turning point came when the Federal Government initiated legislative reforms aimed at establishing a statutory anti-doping institution.The reform process gained momentum under John Enoh, who approached the Presidency with a proposal to establish a national anti-doping authority capable of meeting international regulatory standards.

“The drafting of the legislation involved collaboration between anti-doping technocrats, sports medicine experts, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, and international regulatory bodies.

“The resulting law placed the anti-doping agency under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) — a deliberate structural decision intended to ensure independence from sports political structures.This governance model mirrors international practice.

“Countries such as South Africa, Australia, and Kenya operate anti-doping agencies that are structurally insulated from sports political interference in order to guarantee regulatory credibility,” he added.