Edun Draws Line on NBF-Pro, Says NBB of C Remains Nigeria’s Professional Boxing Authority

President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Wale Edun, has moved to clarify the federation’s position on professional boxing administration in Nigeria, insisting that the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC) remains the recognised authority for professional boxing in the country.

Edun made the clarification while hosting the leadership of the NBB of C at the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF) office and gym at 65 Olatilewa Street, Ikate, Surulere, Lagos.

Speaking at the meeting, the NBF president said he was not aware of what he described as the activities of the “NBF-Pro” initiative and questioned the authority of those promoting it to assume responsibilities outside their mandate.

According to Edun, the position of the National Sports Commission (NSC) is clear: the NBB of C is the recognised body responsible for overseeing professional boxing activities in Nigeria, while the NBF’s responsibility is centred on amateur boxing.

Edun said he was particularly concerned that promoters of the NBF-Pro initiative had continued their activities despite the NSC’s directive.

He maintained that the directive should be respected and stated that, as NBF president, he would ensure compliance with the position of the sports commission.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of an increasingly visible dispute over the administration of professional boxing in Nigeria. In April 2026, the NSC publicly clarified that the NBBvof C is the recognised professional sanctioning authority in the country and directed the NBF to remain within its role of overseeing amateur programmes.

The development is significant because the NBF had earlier announced the creation of a Professional Boxing Commission in March 2026, with responsibilities including licensing, medical and safety regulation, officiating, matchmaking, sanctioning, anti-doping, integrity and disciplinary control.

The federation subsequently sanctioned a professional boxing event in Lagos, further intensifying questions over the respective jurisdictions of the two bodies.

Edun’s intervention carries particular weight given his longstanding involvement in the development of boxing in Nigeria.

Long before becoming NBF president, Edun established the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame, a grassroots initiative that has provided young boxers with regular opportunities to compete, gain experience and develop their careers.

The LBHF was founded in 2010 and its monthly boxing programme has been described as one of the country’s longest-running amateur boxing tournaments.

Edun has also disclosed that he was a national amateur boxing champion during his school days. He has said his personal experience in the sport influenced his decision to work with boxing associations, particularly in Lagos and Ogun, as a means of directing young people’s energy towards productive sporting activities.

His contribution to grassroots boxing has been particularly evident through the LBHF’s sustained monthly competitions.

The initiative has been credited with nurturing young talent and creating a pathway for boxers from the amateur ranks into higher levels of competition.

In 2026, that grassroots programme expanded through the LBHF-IBILE Divisional Boxing Championships, designed to take organised amateur boxing into Lagos’ five divisions — Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe — with divisional champions progressing to the Governor’s Belt Championship. The initiative has been identified as Edun’s brainchild.

Edun’s influence on Nigerian boxing expanded when he was elected president of the NBF in October 2025.

He emerged unopposed with all 12 votes at the federation’s elective congress in Abuja and pledged structural and developmental reforms aimed at restoring Nigerian boxing to a stronger position internationally.

For now, Edun’s message is that the distinction must be respected.

His meeting with the NBB of C leadership signals an attempt to establish clarity over the boundaries between the two organisations and prevent administrative disagreements from further affecting Nigerian boxers, promoters and other stakeholders.

With professional and amateur boxing requiring clear regulatory pathways to protect athletes and attract credible investment, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how the NBF, NBB of C and NSC resolve the jurisdictional dispute and create a more coherent structure for the sport.

For Edun, whose personal and organisational investment in Nigerian boxing spans more than a decade, the immediate priority appears to be ensuring that the sport’s development is not undermined by overlapping administrative mandates.