Vice President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, Omonlei Imadu, has explained the importance of establishing a Professional Boxing Commission, describing it as a major step toward restoring structure, safety and global credibility to professional boxing in Nigeria.
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Imadu spoke following the federation’s announcement of the creation of the commission, which is expected to regulate professional boxing activities across the country.
According to him, the initiative marks a long-awaited reform aimed at introducing transparency and international best practices into Nigeria’s professional boxing system.
“This is a historic turning point for Nigerian boxing. For too long, professional boxing operated without national coordination.
Today, we are delivering a transparent, regulated, globally recognised system that will protect our boxers, elevate promoters, and return Nigeria to its rightful place in world boxing,” Imadu said.
The NBF stated that the newly established commission would enforce strict safety measures, licensing requirements and global compliance standards for professional boxing stakeholders.
Under the new framework, all professional boxers, promoters, managers, matchmakers, referees, judges, trainers and corner officials must obtain licences to operate legally within the sport.
The federation added that every boxing event would require official permits and must comply with mandatory safety protocols, including pre-fight medical examinations, brain scans, eye tests, weigh-in and hydration checks, as well as the presence of certified ringside doctors and emergency medical personnel.
To ensure efficient administration, the commission will operate through several specialised directorates, including licensing, medical and safety, officiating, matchmaking, sanctioning, anti-doping, integrity and disciplinary control.
However, the announcement may intensify the ongoing dispute between the Nigeria Boxing Federation and the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, which has overseen professional boxing in Nigeria since 1949.
The federation insists it has the legal mandate to regulate all forms of boxing in the country, citing backing from an Act of the National Assembly.
Chairman of the NBF Marketing Committee, Azania Omo-Agege, also defended the move, noting that the federation plays a key role in developing boxers with public resources and therefore has the responsibility to guide them into the professional ranks.
“The NBF are the ones who groom the boxers with taxpayers’ money, so they should be able to protect them and guide them properly for their future progress,” he said.
The NBF further revealed that an official licensing portal, national ranking system, professional boxing rulebook, list of approved officials and a comprehensive 2026/2027 boxing event calendar would be released soon.
