HISTORY, ROLE AND OBJECTIVES

BRIEF HISTORY

The Nigeria Olympic Committee as it is presently known is a metamorphosis of the Nigeria Olympic and British Empire Games Association (NOBEGA) which was founded in 1949 by British expatriates whose aim was to expose Nigerian track and field athletes and footballers to international competitions.  NOBEGA later became the Nigerian Olympic Association (NOA) which in turn was re-christened the Nigeria Olympic Committee.

The NOC applied to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – the supreme governing body of sports worldwide, for recognition and was officially admitted into the global Olympic Family in 1951 as the 69^th member of the IOC.  Today there are 206 NOCs in the world that are recognized by the IOC.

Also, the Nigeria Commonwealth Games Association (Commonwealth Games Nigeria) was admitted by the Commonwealth Games Federation into the British  Empire Games in 1949 and first participated in the British Empire Games, held in Auckland, New Zealand in 1950.

The NOC was incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission on 12^th March, 1993, as a registered non-governmental body, under the Companies and Allied Matters Decree No. 1 of 1990.

RECORD OF PARTICIPATION IN OLYMPIC GAMES

RECORD OF PARTICIPATION IN TH COMMONWEALTH GAMES

ROLE OF THE NOC

The Nigeria Olympic Committee, like all other National Olympic Committees of the world operates under the direction of the Olympic Charter as well as its constitution approved by the IOC.  Statutorily, the mission and role of the NOC can be summarized as follows:

• To develop and project the Olympic Movement in Nigeria in accordance with the Olympic Charter.
• To maintain affiliation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), having jurisdiction over sports in which Nigerian teams may participate from time to time, and to particularly uphold and propagate the Olympic Movement, the Commonwealth Sports Movement and the spirit of the African Games in accordance with IOC Charter, CGF Rules, Constitution of ANOCA.
• To present Nigerian teams for participation in all international, continental and sub-regional multi-sports Games such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, the Africa Games and all the youth editions of such international multi-sport games.
  This is a key responsibility that requires full collaboration of the NOC and the Federal Government’s Agency for Sports.
• To encourage the development of high performance sport as well as sport for all and to assist in the training of sports administrators.
• To commit itself to taking action against any form of discrimination especially on the grounds of tribe, race, colour, gender, religion or politics and to discourage violence in sports.
• To fight against the use of substances and procedures prohibited by the IOC and the International Sports Federations (IFs).
• The NOC shall co-operate with the appointed agencies of the Federal Government, State and Local Governments as well as other Non-Governmental Organisations established for the promotion of Sports in Nigeria. But the NOC shall preserve its autonomy and resist all pressures of any kind including those of political, religious or economic nature that may prevent the NOC from complying with its Constitution and the Charter of the IOC and other sporting bodies affiliated to it.
• To ensure, through the National Sports Federations in Nigeria the representation of Nigeria by the best available athletes/competitors in the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, All Africa Games and other International Games, and to ensure due consideration of Nigeria’s opinions in the regulation and conduct of such Games.
• To formulate proposals to the IOC, CGF and ANOCA concerning the Charter/Constitution including the organization and the holding of the Games; and give them opinion concerning the candidature for the organization of such Games.
• To collaborate in the preparation of the Olympic Congresses and participate where requested by the IOC in the activities of the IOC Commissions, and those of the organization.
• To propagate the fundamental principles of Olympism at national level within the framework of sports activity and otherwise contribute, among other things, to the diffusion of Olympism in the teaching programmes of physical education and sport in schools and university establishments.

The rights and duties of the NOC also include participating in the programme of the Olympic Solidarity Commission, the aims of which include:

• Supporting National Sport Federations, through periodical training of Coaches both locally and internationally and offering scholarships to Nigerian athletes under the auspices of the Olympic Solidarity. Also, providing sports equipment support to Sport Federations and subsidies in preparation for continental and global multi-sport games.
• Working closely with the Federal Government Agency for Sports (the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development) in specific sports development programmes for the benefit of Nigerian athletes and sports administrators.
• Developing the technical knowledge of athletes, coaches and sports administrators through courses, seminars and workshops
• Creating, where needed, single, functional and economical sports facilities in co-operation with government and non-governmental bodies.
• Supporting the organization of competitions at national, regional and continental levels.
• Encouraging bilateral or international sports co-operation programmes in Nigeria.
• Urging government and international organizations to include sport in their official development assistance programmes.
• The NOC shall protect all rights to the Symbol, the Flag, the Motto and the Anthem belonging to the IOC, CGF and ANOCA. It shall take steps to prohibit any use of these symbols, motto, flags or anthems when such is contrary to the Constitution and the Charter of these bodies.
• The NOC in collaboration with the IOC, CGF and ANOCA may use their symbols on postage stamps issued in liaison with them and the competent Nigerian Authority.
• The NOC played major role in securing the support of the African Olympic Movement and the Federal Government of Nigeria, which led to the movement of ANOCA Secretariat from Yaounde, Cameroon to Abuja, Nigeria in 2006. That has made Abuja the Olympic Capital of Africa.

It is important to state that National Federations are affiliates of the Nigeria Olympic Committee.  This applies to both Olympic and Non-Olympic Sports.

OFFICERS OF THE NOC – 1951 TO DATE