The National Sports Commission (NSC) has said that it would, henceforth, conduct regular doping tests on Nigerian athletes, as the country prepares for the Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics.

Sports Minister, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said this in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a two-day anti-doping workshop for national coaches and technical directors of the various sports in the country.

The workshop was jointly organised by the NSC and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The minister, who was represented by Alhassan Yakmut, the Director of Grassroots Sports Development in the NSC, said workshops on anti-doping would regularly be organised, to serve as pivots to checking the menace of doping.

Abdullahi, who doubles as Chairman of the NSC, said this would also nip the criminal and anti-social habit in the bud.

He said time had gone when athletes were made to suffer the punishment for doping violations alone.

The NSC boss said that coaches, technical directors, medical crew, other officials and organisations would now share in the punishments outlined for doping violations.

“The NSC as a responsible sports regulation institution in Nigeria has consolidated on its endorsement of the International Anti-Doping Code by constituting the National Anti-Doping Committee.

“The committee is to conduct regular doping test and to provide a broad latitude of advocacy and education on the dangers of consuming performance enhancing drugs.

“It is of paramount importance to reiterate that the beauty of success in sports can only be holistically appreciated when the performance is natural and the preparation is orthodox and consistent with moral principles,’’ Abdullahi said.

The Secretary-General, Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, Mrs Anene Maidoh, said the collaboration was to provide a legal framework for collective action by Governments to address unethical behavior in sports.

She said the fight against doping should be strengthened through legislation, regulations and administrative practices.

Brig-Gen. Johnny Hamakin, Chairman of the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC), said the committee was working hard to ensure that the message of anti-doping got to the grassroots.

This, he said, would be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, which Nigeria is signatory to, since 2003.

Hamakin pointed out that NADC, with the core mandate to midwife the establishment of a statutory and independent anti-doping agency, would drive a virile national anti-doping programme for the country.

He, however, called for the collective responsibility of all stakeholders in sports, to ensure a “clean sports’’ for the country.

Mr Sani Ndanusa, President , the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), noted that the fight against doping was a fight for all.

“The science, investigation and level of doping is increasing every day and I must say, so far, Nigeria is doing quite well, apart from what happened to our athletes at the last Commonwealth Games.

“Most of the developing areas include weightlifting and since then, we have been having clean lifters and clean weightlifting projects.

“That is why we are stepping up our campaign up to the grassroots.

“We are now trying to enlighten the athletes, the coaches, the administrators and all the corporate bodies that support sports.

“Henceforth, provision must be made for anti-doping desks in sports competitions, be it at the local, state or national levels,’’ Ndanusa said.

The two-day workshop, was attended by about 70 participants last week.