Professional Dispute Resolution in Nigerian Sports Administration: The Case of Athletics Federation Disputes

This study examines professional dispute resolution mechanisms within Nigerian sports administration, with specific focus on the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation, as cases representing governance conflicts in high-visibility sports bodies. Conflicts over electoral irregularities, funding allocation, athlete welfare, and management succession are endemic in Nigerian sports governance and frequently disrupt athlete performance and national sporting representation. Using a professional practice research design, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 25 sports administrators, athlete representatives, Sports Federation of Nigeria officials, and legal practitioners specialising in sports governance disputes from Lagos and Abuja. Review of Nigerian Sports Commission arbitration decisions and Federal High Court sports governance judgements from 2021 to 2024 provided documentary evidence. The theoretical framework draws from sports governance theory and ADR frameworks applied to professional associations. Findings indicate that disputes within Nigerian sports federations are predominantly managed through formal litigation, which is slow, costly, and frequently politicised. The absence of a functional sports arbitration tribunal with clear jurisdiction and professional mediators limits the effectiveness of alternative resolution pathways. Recommendations include establishing a Nigeria Sports Disputes Tribunal with mandatory jurisdiction over federation governance disputes, training sports administrators in governance conflict prevention, and reforming federation election rules to reduce dispute triggers. Keywords: sports administration, dispute resolution, Nigeria, federation governance, ADR.