President Bola Tinubu has sought the Senate’s request for the confirmation of the appointment of Mainasara Illo, as the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Anti-Doping Centre (NADC).
In a letter read at the floor of the Chamber by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s Plenary, President Tinubu cited Section 15 of the Nigerian Anti-Doping Act, 2025 for his action.
“In line with section 15 of the Nigerian Anti-doping Act 2025, I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Mr. Mainasara Illo as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Anti-Doping Center, NADC, for an initial term of four years,” the President’s Letter read.
“While I hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominees in its usual expeditious manner, please, accept Distinguished Senate President the assurances of my highest regards.”
The President’s request was referred to the Senate Committee on Narcotics and the Committee on Sports for screening and report back to the Senate as soon as practicable.
It would be recalled that President Tinubu had recently approved the constitution of the board of the Nigerian Anti-Doping Agency, a major compliance milestone aimed at consolidating Nigeria’s status as a clean sporting nation and meeting key requirements set by global regulators.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, recently told journalists after meeting President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, that the approval was a decisive step following nearly two decades of legislative delay.
It came after the Anti-Doping Bill, which had lingered for many years was last year signed into to law by President Tinubu.n This development gives the green light for the board to be constituted, one of the critical conditions demanded by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Mainasara Illo is a prominent Nigerian Sports Administrator and former broadcaster who has extensive experience in organising major sports events.
He served as the Chairman of the Bid Committee for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and also a strong member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria hosted.