December 31, (THEWILL) – It was a year of disappointment and disgrace for some Nigerian sportsmen and women in 2023. Instead of highlighting their brilliance and talents in various international competitions the way Oluwatobiloba Amusan, Victor Osimhen, Asisat Oshaola, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Favour Ofili, and others did, a handful of Nigerian athletes were caught in doping scandals that tarnished the country’s image and pride.
Some of the most renowned and successful Nigerian athletes, such as Blessing Okagbare, Divine Oduduru and Grace Nwokocha were involved in doping scandals and they faced harsh penalties from the authorities. These scandals not only ended the careers and legacies of the individual athletes, but also impaired the collective performance and spirit of the nation as a whole.
As Nigeria wraps up sports this year, Sports live reviews the drug issues that stained Nigeria’s accomplishments in sports in 2023 and suggests that the government does more to prevent a repeat in 2024.
One of the main actors behind the doping scandals that rocked Nigerian sports in 2023 was Eric Lira, a therapist who supplied performance-enhancing drugs to Nigerian athletes. Lira, who was based in Texas, USA, had been working with several Nigerian athletes since 2019, providing them with various treatments and supplements. Some of the supplements contained prohibited substances, such as human growth hormone (HGH) and erythropoietin (EPO) which enhanced their performance and endurance.
Lira was exposed by the US authorities in July 2023, after they raided his clinic and found evidence of his illegal activities. Lira was arrested and charged with violating the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, a new US law that criminalises doping conspiracies in international sports. Lira’s arrest triggered a series of investigations and revelations that implicated some Nigerian athletes who had been associated with him.
One of the most prominent and decorated Nigerian athletes who was involved in the doping scandal was Okagbare, the Olympic and World Championships medallist in the long jump, the world medalist in the 200 metres and the women’s 100 metres Commonwealth Games record holder at 10.85 seconds. She was banned for 11 years for doping and refusing to cooperate with the investigation. It all went downhill for Okagbare after she was suspended during the Tokyo Olympics, just before the women’s 100m semi-finals, after testing positive for human growth hormone (HGH) in an out-of-competition test in Slovakia.
For the investigations, Okagbare’s phone was seized by the U.S. authorities when she returned to the United States, and it revealed that she had been in contact with Lira, who had supplied her with various prohibited substances, such as HGH, EPO, and synthetic insulin growth factor. Okagbare also solicited prohibited substances on behalf of Oduduru, who was her team-mate and training partner. Okagbare’s ban effectively ended her career and legacy, as well as her relationship with Oduduru.
Oduduru’s involvement was unfortunate as he had shown potential that made analysts see him as the next big track and field star to emerge from Nigeria. However, the 2014 World Junior silver medallist in the 200m and the national record holder in the same event, was banned for six years for doping and attempted use of a prohibited substance or method. He was suspended during the World Championships, after the AIU found “overwhelming evidence” against him. Oduduru’s case was linked to that of Okagbare, who had solicited prohibited substances on his behalf from Lira.
Oduduru’s phone and apartment were searched by the U.S. authorities, and they revealed that he had been in possession of multiple prohibited substances, such as human growth hormone (HGH), erythropoietin (EPO), and synthetic insulin growth factor. Oduduru maintained his innocence throughout the investigation, but the AIU rejected his defence and imposed a six-year ban on him, effectively ending his career and aspirations.
The next scandal involved Nwokocha who tested positive for prohibited substances at the Commonwealth Games and caused Nigeria to lose the gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay. Nwokocha was found to have traces of ostarine and ligandrol, two anabolic agents, in a sample collected in August last year. Ostarine and ligandrol are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for their performance-enhancing effects, such as increasing strength and muscle mass.
Nwokocha, unlike Okagbare and Oduduru, admitted to the doping violation and accepted a three-year ban from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Her ban also resulted in the disqualification of her teammates Joy Udo-Gabriel, Ofili, and Rosemary Chukwuma, the all-female team that had won the gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the Commonwealth Games, tarnishing Nigeria’s achievement in the event.
In all of these, there was one positive outcome in the doping scandals that rocked Nigerian sports this year, in the case of Amusan. The Nigerian hurdler and former World Record holder faced a whereabouts violation charge from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) that almost prevented her from competing to defend her world record in the female hurdles event. Amusan, who had broken the world record in the event with a time of 12.12 seconds at the 2022 World Championships, was provisionally suspended by the AIU in July 2023, after she missed three anti-doping tests in a 12-month period.
Amusan claimed that she was innocent and that she had valid reasons for missing the tests, such as travel delays, illness, and miscommunication. She appealed her suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which cleared her of the charge by a majority decision in August 2023 on the eve of her event. Amusan was allowed to compete at the World Championships, where she was unsuccessful in defending her world record. Yet, Amusan’s case was one of the few positive outcomes for Nigerian athletics in 2023, as she managed to clear her name and avoid a ban.
The doping scandals that rocked Nigerian sports in 2023 highlight the need to put more effort in a drug-free sports culture in Nigeria as we head into 2024. The doping cases not only harmed the individual athletes and the nation, but also the future generations of Nigerian sportsmen and sportswomen, who may lose their opportunities and incentives to pursue their dreams and passions due to a jaundiced and stereotypical view of Nigerian sportsmen and women as perennial cheats.
The doping cases also undermined the values and principles of sports, such as fair play, respect, and excellence, which are essential for the development and well-being of the society. Therefore, it is imperative that the Nigerian authorities and the sports community work together to create a drug-free sports environment, where the athletes can compete with integrity and dignity, and where the fans can enjoy and celebrate their achievements. A drug-free sports culture in Nigeria would not only benefit the country’s image, pride, and development, but also the global sports community, which would welcome and appreciate Nigeria’s contributions and talents.
Nigeria can do this by introducing several initiatives such as: Enhancing the anti-doping education and awareness among the athletes, coaches, and officials, such as workshops, seminars, and campaigns; increasing the frequency and quality of the anti-doping tests and controls, and cooperating with the international bodies, such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), to ensure compliance and transparency; creating a values-based education (VBE) program that considers the different value-priorities of the athletes across countries and promotes the values and principles of sports, such as fair play, respect, and excellence.
Furthermore, by providing support and guidance to the athletes to help them cope with the pressures and challenges of sports, and preventing them from resorting to doping as a shortcut or a solution, by encouraging and rewarding the athletes who compete fairly and honourably, and who represent the country with pride and excellence, the government can create a drug-free sports environment where performance is naturally enhanced rather than artificially boosted and Nigeria is recognised for clean competition.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
