ABUJA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Wednesday said it would conduct regular doping tests on all athletes, as the country prepares for the Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics.

Sports Minister and Chairman of National Sports Commission ( NSC) Bolaji Abdullahi announced this in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a two-day anti-doping workshop for national coaches and technical directors of the various sports in the country.

The workshop was jointly organized by the NSC and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The minister said workshops on anti-doping would regularly be organized, to serve as pivots to checking the menace of doping.

Abdullahi told his audience that this would also nip the criminal and anti-social habit in the bud.
He said time had gone when athletes were made to suffer the punishment for doping violations alone.

The minister aid coaches, technical directors, medical crew, other officials and organizations would now share in the punishments outlined for doping violations.

Earlier, Anene Maidoh, the Secretary-General, Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, said the collaboration was to provide a legal framework for collective action by governments to address unethical behavior in sports.

She said the fight against doping should be strengthened through legislation, regulations and administrative practices.

The two-day workshop, which is being attended by about 70 participants, ends on Thursday.

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