Senate Passes Anti-doping Bill

The Senate on Thursday, June 6, passed the “National Anti-Doping Bill 2024.”

It is a bill seeking to prohibit Nigerian athletes from consuming performance-enhancing substances during or after sporting competitions.

President Bola Tinubu had sent a request to the Senate to enact the law penultimate week through a letter read on the floor by the deputy Senate president, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary.

According to the president, the Bill was meant to domesticate and enforce in Nigeria the international convention against doping in sports ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in France.

He said it was also meant to establish the Nigeria anti-doping centre to implement Nigeria’s obligations to the World Anti-Doping Code in conformity with international standards.

The passage of the bill followed the consideration and approval of the report of the Senate committee on judiciary, human rights, and legal matters during plenary.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Mohammed Monguno, presented the report.

Senators adopted the recommendations of the committee and approved that the Bill be read for a third time when it was put to a voice vote by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary.