The three-day seminar, backed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was entitled "Protection of the Health of Clean Athletes" and held at Command Guest house in Lagos.

It drew sports medicine practitioners and physiotherapists from a number of Nigeria's states.

They gathered to discuss the way forward for sports medicine in the country and to offer solutions to problems facing the sector.

Dr Akinwunmi Amao, chairman of sports medicine at the Lagos State Sports Commission and vice-president of the NOC Medical Commission, stated it is important to note that IOC President Thomas Bach has tasked all National Olympic Committees on the need to use their respective medical commissions as channels for educating their athletes.

"We are tasked as sports officials on healthy sporting lifestyles using sports or physical activity as a tool with a goal of protecting clean athletes in support of Agenda 2020," he said.

"Educational programmes of this nature are critical in ensuring that key stakeholders of our sports are not left out of emerging global trends in sports medicine management and administration.

"There is a need, therefore, for active collaboration of efforts by all to ensure the safe delivery of the objectives as we will continue to work hard for continuous promotion of noble Olympic ideals."

Dr George Akin, the chairman of Lagos State Sports Medicine, called for more sensitisation among the practitioners and inclusiveness of sports medicine.

"We need to move from where we are now to the next level of sports medicine," he said.

"We need new ideas, equipment and solutions to sports medicine.

"There is need for more states in the federation to have their separate sports medicine departments because aside from Lagos and Abuja, sports medicine is almost non-existent.

"Sports medicine takes the front seat in the development of sports and it is critical, so we need more efforts in this regard to drive it to the hearts of all."

The seminar attracted around 52 participants from the states of Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Kano, Enugu, Bayelsa, Imo and Plateau.

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital was also represented.

Femi Bali, the chief executive of the programme’s co-sponsor CobbMed Healthcare Solutions, was present as well.