By Favour Itua 

As Nigeria prepares for a series of sports federation elections scheduled between June 2025 and January 2026, only 12 out of the 28 national sports federations have received approval for their constitutions from their respective international governing bodies.

This compliance gap has raised concerns over the administrative preparedness and alignment of several federations with global governance standards.

According to BSN Sports, only the federations overseeing aquatic sports, archery, athletics, basketball, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, shooting, table tennis, triathlon, volleyball, and weightlifting have so far secured international ratification of their constitutions.

These 12 federations will conduct their elections using their approved constitutions, ensuring they operate in line with global best practices and transparent democratic norms.

In contrast, the remaining federations, whose constitutions are yet to be ratified, will rely on the guidelines provided by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to conduct their elections.

The approval of a national federation’s constitution by its international body is considered critical for eligibility, global recognition, and access to international support.

 With the elections drawing closer, federations without approval now face mounting pressure to meet compliance requirements or risk setbacks that could affect leadership legitimacy and international engagement.