By Dayo Awoniyi
Players in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) have been handed a clean slate after random drug tests conducted by the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) returned all negative results.
NPFL Chairman Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye hailed the outcome, describing it as proof of the players’ discipline and commitment to fair play.
“I am very satisfied with the outcome of the tests carried out by the NADC, and I commend our players for staying clean,” Elegbeleye said in reaction to the agency’s official communication.
In the letter signed by Odo Raphael Okafor, Deputy Director and Head of Drug Testing, the NADC stressed that the exercise was part of efforts to uphold the integrity of the league in line with the World Anti-Doping Code.
According to the report, 32 urine samples taken from randomly selected fixtures in the 2023/24 season all tested negative, with none of the players found using banned substances.
The NADC confirmed that testing will continue in the upcoming 2025/26 campaign, with 16 samples to be collected from four randomly chosen matches.
“In our continued commitment to fair play and the protection of athletes’ health, we will carry out drug testing in selected matches next season,” the agency stated.
Elegbeleye assured the league’s full cooperation with the anti-doping body, adding that the NPFL is committed to ensuring integrity and transparency on and off the pitch.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
