NBF Launches Commission to Regulate Professional Boxing

The Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) has launched a commission to regulate professional boxing in Nigeria, marking a historic turning point for the sport in the country. The commission will enforce safety protocols and licensing standards to ensure global compliance.

Omonlei Imadu, Vice President of the NBF, emphasized that this initiative is long overdue, as professional boxing has operated without national coordination. The new framework will require all professional boxers, managers, promoters, matchmakers, referees, judges, trainers, and corner officials to obtain licenses.

Events will necessitate permits that meet mandatory safety standards, including pre-fight medical examinations, brain scans, eye tests, weigh-ins, hydration checks, and the presence of certified ringside doctors and emergency medical personnel. The NBF aims to deepen existing disputes with the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, which has regulated professional boxing since 1949.

The NBF maintains that it has the legal mandate to oversee boxing in the country and will soon release an official licensing portal and a national ranking system.