NOC Moves To Strengthen Sports Governance With Abuja Seminar

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) will host a two-day Good Governance Seminar for presidents of National Sports Federations in Abuja from September 28 to 29.

The capacity-building programme, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its Olympic Solidarity programme, will hold at Starview Palace Hotel, Gwarinpa.

The seminar is designed to strengthen the leadership and administrative capacity of federation presidents while promoting internationally recognised governance standards across Nigerian sports.

Key areas to be addressed include sports architecture, leadership principles and qualities, core governance principles, managing organisational challenges, and the roles and responsibilities of federation presidents and secretaries-general.

Participants will also examine effective management of national sports federations and strategies for identifying and combating corruption in sports.

The NOC said good governance remained essential to the sustainability, credibility and development of sports organisations, adding that national federations, as affiliates, were expected to operate effective governance systems in line with their constitutions and ethical standards.

NOC Secretary-General, Babatunde Popoola, said the seminar would provide federation leaders with an opportunity to share experiences, address administrative challenges and improve service delivery.

The IOC has appointed Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport and a MEMOS instructor in Governance and Sports Management, as the international expert to facilitate the sessions.

NOC President, Engr Habu Ahmed Gumel, reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to continuous education and training for sports administrators.

The seminar will be officially declared open by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko.