- The announcement, however, is set to deepen an existing dispute between the NBF and the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, which has regulated professional boxing in Nigeria since 1949.
- The NBF, however, maintains it is backed by an act of the National Assembly and has the legal mandate to oversee all forms of boxing in the country. Chairman of the NBF’s Marketing Committee, Azania Omo-Agege, argued that the federation’s role in grooming boxers with public funds gave it both the right and the responsibility to protect them at the professional level.
The Nigeria Boxing Federation has announced the establishment of a Professional Boxing Commission to regulate professional boxing in Nigeria, marking what the federation described as a historic turning point for the sport in the country.
The NBF said the commission would enforce safety protocols, licensing standards and global compliance requirements, with dedicated directorates covering licensing, medical and safety, officiating, matchmaking, sanctioning, anti-doping and integrity and disciplinary control.
Vice President of the NBF, Omonlei Imadu, said the move was long overdue.
“This is a historic turning point for Nigerian boxing. For too long, professional boxing operated without national coordination. Today, we are delivering a transparent, regulated, globally recognised system that will protect our boxers, elevate promoters, and return Nigeria to its rightful place in world boxing,” he said.
The NBF said all professional boxers, managers, promoters, matchmakers, referees, judges, trainers and corner officials must now obtain licences under the new framework, while all events will require permits and must meet mandatory safety standards, including pre-fight medical examinations, brain scans, eye tests, weigh-in and hydration checks and the presence of certified ringside doctors and emergency medical personnel.
The announcement, however, is set to deepen an existing dispute between the NBF and the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, which has regulated professional boxing in Nigeria since 1949.
The NBF, however, maintains it is backed by an act of the National Assembly and has the legal mandate to oversee all forms of boxing in the country. Chairman of the NBF’s Marketing Committee, Azania Omo-Agege, argued that the federation’s role in grooming boxers with public funds gave it both the right and the responsibility to protect them at the professional level.
The NBF are the ones who groom the boxers with taxpayers’ money, so they should be able to protect them and guide them properly for their future progress,” Omo-Agege said.
The NBF said it would soon release an official licensing portal, national ranking system, professional boxing rulebook, approved officials list and a 2026/2027 event calendar.
Courtesy www.punchng.com
