Boxing Legend Oboh Expresses Grave Concerns Over Safety Standards in Nigerian Boxing

Former Commonwealth boxing champion Bash Ali Oboh has voiced serious concerns regarding the safety standards in Nigerian boxing, warning that more fighters could lose their lives without urgent improvements to the sport’s regulatory framework.
Speaking during a boxing development forum in Lagos yesterday, Oboh drew attention to what he described as “alarming deficiencies” in medical protocols, referee training, and equipment standards across boxing venues in the country.
“What I’ve witnessed at some boxing events across Nigeria keeps me awake at night. I genuinely fear that we may lose more young boxers if we don’t address these fundamental safety issues immediately,” Oboh stated, referencing recent incidents where boxers suffered severe injuries during matches.
The veteran boxer highlighted specific concerns including inadequate pre-fight medical screenings, lack of qualified ringside physicians, poor referee oversight, and substandard protective equipment being used in many venues, particularly at the grassroots level.
“Many young boxers are entering the ring without proper medical clearance. Some venues don’t even have basic emergency medical equipment or personnel. When a boxer is in distress, critical minutes are lost before they receive proper medical attention,” he explained.
Oboh called for the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control to implement stricter regulations and enforcement mechanisms, including mandatory neurological examinations for fighters and certification requirements for all boxing facilities.
“This isn’t about bureaucracy—it’s about saving lives. Every boxer deserves to leave the ring alive, regardless of the outcome of their fight,” he emphasized.
The boxing legend also addressed the economic pressures that push many young fighters to compete despite health concerns or insufficient recovery time between bouts.
“Some promoters are prioritizing profit over fighter safety, and young boxers, desperate for income, are accepting dangerous fights they shouldn’t be taking,” Oboh noted, calling for minimum purse requirements and stricter scheduling regulations.
Several current boxing trainers present at the forum echoed Oboh’s concerns, with one prominent Lagos-based coach revealing that he had personally witnessed boxers competing with undiagnosed concussions from previous matches.
“The culture needs to change. We need to educate everyone involved that boxer safety must come before entertainment, before money, before everything else,” Oboh concluded, pledging to establish a fighter safety foundation to address these critical issues.