Corruption and Misgovernance in Nigerian Sport: Legal Gaps, Policy Failures, and the Way Forward

• Author(s): Adeyemo, Tolulope Christianah ; Uwayo Fabrice
• Paper ID: 1710014
• Page: 315-325
• Published Date: 18-08-2025
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 9 Issue 2 August-2025

Abstract

This desk-based review critically examines corruption and misgovernance in Nigerian sport, focusing on institutional weaknesses, legal gaps, and policy failures. Drawing on peer-reviewed sources, the paper identifies five key challenges: legal fragmentation, political interference, policy incoherence, stakeholder exclusion, and lack of accountability. These issues hinder the implementation of Nigeria’s sports policy and foster elite capture and misappropriation of resources. The review offers reform pathways, including legal harmonisation, decentralised oversight, judicial enforcement, and participatory governance. A thematic synthesis summarises scholarly recommendations and exposes systemic dysfunctions. Ultimately, the paper advocates for governance rooted in transparency, enforceability, and inclusion. This study contributes to sport governance discourse in Africa and supports evidence-based advocacy and legal reform efforts targeting sustainable sport development.

Keywords

Sport governance, corruption in sport, Nigerian legal system, public policy failure, institutional reform, political interference

Citations

IRE Journals:
Adeyemo, Tolulope Christianah , Uwayo Fabrice "Corruption and Misgovernance in Nigerian Sport: Legal Gaps, Policy Failures, and the Way Forward" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 2 2025 Page 315-325

IEEE:
Adeyemo, Tolulope Christianah , Uwayo Fabrice "Corruption and Misgovernance in Nigerian Sport: Legal Gaps, Policy Failures, and the Way Forward" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(2)