The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has moved to allay fears within the athletics community over reports that athletes would be required to pay ₦15,000 to register on the newly introduced Roster Athletics platform.
Concerns were raised after athletes and stakeholders noticed a payment option during registration on the digital platform, which the federation recently adopted to manage athlete data and competition entries nationwide. The development sparked criticism, including from Nigeria’s 100m record holder, Olusoji Fasuba, who warned that such a fee could discourage grassroots athletes and hinder development.
AFN President Tonobok Okowa clarified that the federation had not approved any registration fee and assured athletes that they would not be made to pay ₦15,000. He explained that the figure being circulated originated from Roster Athletics and was still subject to negotiation and approval by the AFN board.
According to Okowa, discussions on the matter are ongoing and no final decision has been reached.
“The issue has been presented to the board and is still under consideration. No amount has been fixed, and it will certainly not be ₦15,000. I can assure everyone that whatever fee is eventually agreed upon will be much lower,” he said.
He further noted that the initial charge was set by Roster Athletics but stressed his personal commitment to ensuring athletes are not burdened.
“Roster Athletics proposed the ₦15,000 fee, but I will not allow athletes to pay that amount,” Okowa added.
Responding to speculation that the federation might benefit financially from the arrangement, the AFN president dismissed the claims, stating that any component meant for the federation would either be reduced or completely absorbed to keep costs minimal.
“Our focus is negotiation. If there is any percentage meant to come to the AFN, we will reduce it or remove it entirely. The federation has no intention of profiting from athletes; affordability is our priority,” he said.
The AFN announced its partnership with Roster Athletics on January 13, describing it as a key initiative to curb age cheating and improve data integrity in Nigerian athletics. The platform will be used across all AFN competitions and extended to state associations, clubs and road race organisers.
It will introduce online registration, automated seeding, real-time results integration and secure, tamper-proof athlete records. The federation has also unveiled a compulsory lifetime athlete licensing system with annual renewals, aimed at aligning Nigerian athletics with international standards and strengthening transparency, accountability and confidence in the sport.
