The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Enoh, has applauded President Bola Tinubu for placing premium on the National Anti-Doping Bill, thereby giving the nation a good reputation.
The transmission of the Anti-Doping Bill 2024 to the National Assembly and its accelerated passage remains a landmark achievement of the administration.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Diana-Mary Nsan, on Sunday, Enoh said: “It is a show of the courageous and bold leadership of the president, a final and appropriate response to the perennial issues of doping that have characterized Nigeria’s relationship with the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA).”
Enoh stated that WADA issued a notice to ban Nigeria from international competitions, which escalated to the point where the agency took Nigeria to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
Amid other non-compliant issues, the main challenge was Nigeria’s inability to domesticate the National Anti-Doping Law and set up a National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) as part of its obligation having signed the international convention in 1999.
He said:“For years, the country has grappled with meeting up to the expectations of the World Anti-Doping Organisation, despite being a foundational signatory for 25 years.
“Nigeria has been in the eye of the storm due to its inability to domesticate the anti-doping law with the backing of parliament.
“I must thank our sports-loving president for his foresight immediately after the issues were brought before him. His foresight and actions have put the country on the right path in sports.
“I also appreciate the National Assembly for the passage of the bill, consideration and approval of the report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters during plenary.
“The county will no longer have doubts of its participation in global sporting events or eligibility to host sports competitions, amongst other perennial issues.”
This welcome development comes weeks before the country’s participation in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Persecondnews recalls that on Thursday, the Senate passed a bill seeking to prohibit Nigerian athletes from consuming performance-enhancing substances during or after sporting competitions.
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, read a letter from President Tinubu to the Senate in May, requesting enactment.
He urged the Senate to review and approve a bill aimed at prohibiting athletes from using substances that enhance their performance.
Tinubu had stated that the bill would establish a legal framework for the creation of the National Anti-Doping Organisation.
According to the president, the bill was meant to domesticate and enforce in Nigeria, the international convention against doping in sports ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in France.
The bill’s passage followed the consideration and approval of the Senate committee’s report on judiciary, human rights, and legal matters during plenary.
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