AFN to organize U-13 competition in three centres, probes its finances

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN will organise three U-13 athletics competitions in three centres across Nigeria.

This was one of the resolutions reached at its executive board meeting, held virtually last Saturday and presided over by Tafida Gadzama, its First Vice President.

The competition will be funded by World Athletics under its Grant for Growth Under 13 National Athletics Competition project.

The three centres are Abuja, Kaduna and Portharcourt/Enugu.

The AFN executive board also resolved to look into its finances, its income and expenditure since the start of 2023.

This will be the first time in over two decades an executive board of the federation will probe its own activities to ensure transparency and accountability.

The executive board appointed a five member committee led by the First Vice President, Gadzama to look into the books of the federation since the start of this administration viz its income and expenditure and report their findings to the executive board.

Other members of the committee are Mrs Maria Worphil,  Victor Okorie, Samuel Onikeku and  Dare Esan.

In view of the unsavoury reports in the media of athletes not getting paid by road race organizers in Nigeria, the board mandated the road race committee to come up with a road running manual to assist road race organisers in getting started or to help produce quality events of an international standard and define the criteria that must be met in organizing a road running event in Nigeria.

In other decisions reached at the meeting, the AFN board resolved to draw up a Safeguarding Policy in compliance with World Athletics’ demand.

The Safeguarding policy sets expectations as well as defines the specific roles and responsibilities of the federation in protecting our athletes.

Most importantly it gives confidence and trust to our athletes that there are structures and processes in place to report safeguarding abuse.

The board agreed to appoint a safeguarding officer to see to the implementation of the policy without further delay to make our athletes feel safe and supported.

The board also deliberated on the performance of Team Nigeria at the 19th World Athletics Championships which was held in Budapest  and resolved that future participation of athletes in the championships and indeed other international competitions will not be limited to just securing the entry standard set by World Athletics and, as the case may be, the AFN, but also other factors which the technical committee has been mandated to come up with and present to the board for approval.