Nigeria could have faced a ban from international competition if new guidelines had been enforced by the Government, it was claimed ©Getty Images

A potential crisis in Nigerian sport has been averted after the country's Government agreed to amend a series of controversial rules which, it was claimed, were against the Olympic Charter.

The new guidelines released by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, included a rule that any serving President of a National Federation would not be able to stand for re-election after completing two four-year terms and that any Nigerian who was a member of an International Federation would not be allowed to stand at all. 

That would have affected several leading Nigerian sports administrators, including Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Following a meeting between the NOC and the Government, the Ministry have agreed to drop both proposals.

Officials will now be able to lead National Federations for a maximum of 12 years, three four-year terms.

A compromise was agreed, though, on Nigerians serving in high-ranking international positions.

Under the new terms, any Nigerian elected as President of a world governing body will not be able to hold the same position for a National Federation.

There are currently no Nigerians in charge of an International Federation. 

A new Electoral Appeals Committee, chaired by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Abdul Razak Salau, has also been established to deal with disputes.

Nigeria Olympic Committee President Habu Gumel would have been the main administrator affected by the new rules proposed by the country's Ministry of Youth and Sports ©Getty Images
Nigeria Olympic Committee President Habu Gumel would have been the main administrator affected by the new rules proposed by the country's Ministry of Youth and Sports ©Getty Images

"We reviewed some provisions of the guidelines and we agreed that there was need for us to reach a consensus," said Nigeria's Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung following the meeting with the NOC.

"We decided to make amendments to some of the guidelines after wide consultations with the stakeholders in the industry to conform with the IOC Charter and international best practices. 

"In our resolve to produce a democratically elected National Federations, we met with the stakeholders to revisit and fine-tune the guidelines. 

"We have also put in place a check mechanism as the congress will now elect the Presidents. 

"We gave them that grace of a last chance to contest for three terms and that will be final. 

"Only Presidents of International Federations will not be eligible to contest for the National Federations’ Presidency. 

"The vice-presidents can contest."

Dalung had published the new guidelines earlier this month, but they had immediately been challenged by the NOC, whose secretary general Tunde Popoola had warned they were against the Olympic Charter and could have led to the suspension of Nigeria from international competition. 

Other high-ranking Nigerian officials who may have been affected by the original proposal would have included athletics' Solomon Ogba, basketball's Tijani Umar, handball's Yusuf Dauda and tennis' Sani Ndanusa, who also all hold international positions.