Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has announced a groundbreaking new policy that officially criminalizes age falsification in Nigerian sports, marking the toughest stance the nation has ever taken against the widespread practice.
The policy, adopted at the 2nd National Council on Sports in Calabar, introduces strict legal, administrative, and sporting penalties targeting anyone involved in age manipulation: athletes, coaches, officials, teams, academies, and even state delegations.
Olopade did not mince words. “Age cheating is a national disgrace, and Nigeria will no longer tolerate it. Anyone involved will face serious consequences,” he declared.
Under the new regulation, any athlete found guilty will face:
Immediate disqualification
Stripping of medals and honours
A ban of up to two years
Harsher punishments for repeat offenders
But the crackdown doesn’t stop with athletes. Coaches, administrative officials, and team handlers who facilitate or benefit from age cheating will also face suspensions, fines, or bans. State delegations may face disqualification from competitions and sanctions if they are found guilty of enabling the fraud.
“This is not just about punishing athletes. It is about cleaning up an entire system that has protected and encouraged age manipulation for too long,” Olopade stated.
The NSC boss explained that the policy takes immediate effect across all national age-grade competitions and will guide Nigeria’s participation in international tournaments. Going forward, any team or federation that fields over-aged players risks automatic sanctions.
Olopade said the new framework is designed to restore Nigeria’s credibility in global sports, noting that age cheating has damaged the country’s reputation for decades.
He stressed that top nations are investing in transparency, data accuracy, and digital tracking systems, and Nigeria cannot continue to swim against global standards.
“We cannot keep calling ourselves a great sporting nation while practising age fraud. It ends now,” he warned.
The message was firm and historic: Nigeria is finally confronting age cheating, and this time, there will be no hiding place.
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