The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has called on the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, to strengthen regulatory compliance and adopt stronger preventive measures in financial management across the sports sector.
Olukoyede made the call on Friday in Abuja when Dikko and members of the NSC management team paid a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters.
He stressed the importance of early compliance systems to prevent financial infractions before they occur, noting that the Commission has in the past investigated former sports administrators and still has some active case files.
According to him, the EFCC is ready to support the NSC through its Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) department, which is designed to help government agencies identify and prevent financial risks.
He explained that the department would work closely with the NSC to develop compliance frameworks covering procurement processes, contract awards, and fund management.
“We now have a department called Fraud Risk Assessment and Control. It is basically set up for prevention. That team will work with you to build a compliance template so you can avoid issues around procurement and financial management,” he said.
Olukoyede also expressed concern over past mismanagement of grants and funds received from international sporting bodies, warning that such lapses must not be repeated.
He added that EFCC would also review agreements and memoranda of understanding linked to sports agencies to identify potential risk areas and ensure proper financial accountability.
“Prevention is better than cure. We don’t want a situation where the EFCC is constantly investigating the NSC. Let’s put the right systems in place from the beginning,” he said.
The EFCC chairman further noted that his agency would consider deploying a liaison desk to work directly with the NSC to strengthen transparency and reduce financial irregularities.
He also commended recent reforms within the NSC under Dikko’s leadership, saying there were visible improvements in the sports sector and growing interest from corporate sponsors.
Responding, NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko said his visit was aimed at building stronger institutional collaboration in line with his “Renewed Hope Initiative for Sports,” adding that efforts were underway to introduce integrity-driven reforms within the commission.
He said the NSC was working to “clean the system” and ensure transparency through an independent integrity framework designed to strengthen accountability in sports administration.
