Gumel launches safeguarding policy to protect athletes

The President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), Engineer Habu Gumel, has launched the Nigerian Sports Safeguarding Policy, describing it as a landmark framework designed to protect athletes and other participants in sports from abuse, harassment, discrimination and reports of exploitation. completesports.com.

Speaking at the official opening in Abuja on Tuesday, Gumel said the policy is aligned with global best practices and the principles of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and emphasized that every athlete has the right to train and compete in a safe, respectful and inclusive environment.

“Nigeria’s Safeguarding in Sport Policy is a formal declaration of a zero-tolerance stance against all forms of abuse and misconduct in sport,”* Gumel said. *”Establishes clear standards, reporting mechanisms and accountability structures for all stakeholders, from grassroots programs to elite national teams.

“Let me take this occasion to urge national sports federations to domesticate and implement the policy, appoint protection officers and strengthen education and awareness programmes. The welfare, dignity and well-being of athletes, particularly children, female athletes and persons with disabilities, must remain at the center of sports development in Nigeria,” the NOC boss said.

In a keynote address, the Chairman of the NOC Safeguarding Commission, Dr. Olajide Adebola, said safeguarding extends beyond physical security. It covers protection from psychological, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and exploitation.

“People should be able to talk about bullying in sports, abuse in sports, neglect in sports and exploitation in sports,”* Adebola said, warning that many victims suffer long-term psychological and mental health consequences that can affect performance, well-being and life beyond sport.

It noted that safeguarding concerns often arise from power imbalances between athletes and officials, coaches or administrators, adding that verbal humiliation, intimidation, sexual misconduct, neglect of athletes’ welfare and even non-payment of allowances can constitute safeguarding breaches.

According to him, the policy introduces confidential reporting channels, investigation procedures and sanctions for violators, while promoting preventive measures such as training, background checks and the appointment of protection officers at sporting events.

“A failure in safeguarding is a failure in leadership,” Adebola declared. “Today, NOC leaders have shown leadership to ensure we can prevent harm.”

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He further revealed that preliminary results of a safeguarding assessment conducted during the recent National Sports Festival indicated that abuse, neglect and harassment continue to be prevalent in parts of the Nigerian sports ecosystem.

The Deputy Commandant General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Dara Kolo Shinaba Mohammed, who represented the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), linked safeguarding efforts with the fight against drug abuse among youths and athletes.

He described the launch of the policy as “a statement of collective responsibility”* and a commitment to protect athletes, officials, women, children and other vulnerable people from abuse, exploitation, harassment, discrimination, bullying and substance abuse.

Citing data from a national survey on drug use, Mohammed warned that drug abuse remains a major threat to Nigeria’s youth population and called for greater investment in sport as a tool of prevention, character development and social inclusion.

“Sport is both a school and a skill,” he said. “It teaches discipline, perseverance, teamwork, respect, resilience, healthy competition and excellence.”

The NDLEA official pledged the agency’s support for the implementation of the safeguarding policy through awareness campaigns, preventive education, youth engagement initiatives and collaborative programs aimed at protecting athletes from harmful influences.

A highlight of the event was the formal adoption of the protection policy by several national sports federations.

By Richard Jideaka Abuja