Basketball

NBBF Welcomes Minister of Sports To Office With Afrobasket Trophy

Published

7 years ago

August 24, 2019

NBBF Welcomes Minister of Sports To Office With Afrobasket Trophy

The newly appointed Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare was on Friday was welcomed to the office with 2019 Afrobasket trophy courtesy of Nigeria’s D’Tigress of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF.

Just last week the D’Tigress break barriers and set new records in Basketball by winning FIBA Afrobasket trophy back to back after a fierce battle with the host nation even in the presence of over 20,000 home crowd in faraway Senegal.

While receiving the giant trophy, Minister of youth and sports Mr. Dare applauds the team for the deserve victory saying they indeed exhibit the character of the tiger by defeating the host nation.

According to him, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari will continue to give the D’Tigress the support it needs both financially and otherwise.

“President followed the games and very soon, once we have a confirmed date, D’Tigress will be in Abuja and I will lead them to present the cup to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Basketball has come to stay in this country. You serve as an ambassador for other girls and for the youth that we want to develop. I want to thank you for this victory. Nigerians want to thank you for this victory.”

He, however, challenged the NBBF board and the D’Tigress to increase their hard work adding that the result of hard work is more hard work.

Speaking earlier, the elated NBBF President, Engr Musa Kida described the occasion as a significant one which marks the beginning of many things to come for the new minister while in office.

“We are glad as a federation that we are the first to welcome the new minister to the office with a trophy which we won in Senegal. This is not just another event for us as NBBF; it is a landmark achievement as we have been presented with such a golden opportunity to interface personally with the Minister.”

Kida said at a crucial time like this with many international events to prosecute, it was imperative for the NBBF board to visit the minister and have firsthand information about what is happening within the federation.

“Our male team is in China and we all know how they got there. The women are the current African Champions. So, we needed to see the Minister and tell him about our plight. We are quite hopeful about the meeting we had with the Minister that things can only get better.”

Meanwhile, the duo of D’Tigress players, Sarah Imovbioh and Kunaiyi Pallas Akpannah who represented the team were present.

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Basketball

Respect NBBF Constitution, Install New Board to Revive Basketball — Stakeholders

Published

3 months ago

February 24, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Fresh concerns have emerged over alleged procedural breaches in the leadership of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), as seven members of the outgoing board insist that constitutional processes must be strictly followed to grow thw game and prevent a deepening crisis in Nigerian basketball.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the board members declared that the tenure of the current board officially expired on January 31, 2026, and maintained that no member approved any extension beyond that date.

They called for the immediate activation of constitutional provisions to convene an elective congress that will usher in a new and inclusive board.

The stakeholders in attendance included International Representative Col. Sam Ahmadu (Rtd); Prof. Florence Adeyanju (NAWIS representative); Olumide Bamiduro (representing NAPHERD SD, replacing Yakashai who resigned to join the Boxing Federation); North-East Representative Adamu Deshi; Technical Representative Scot Nnaji; South-West Representative Olumide Oyedeji; and Suraj Yusuf representing the North-West.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Col. Ahmadu said the briefing was necessary to address what he described as widespread misinformation surrounding the federation’s leadership status.

“We decided to hold this press briefing because there is so much information out there — some factual and some concocted,” he said. “This is not a campaign for anyone but an effort by members of the outgoing board to set the record straight.”

He explained that the NBBF constitution clearly provides that a board’s tenure begins immediately after members are sworn in following an elective congress. Since the last election was conducted on January 31, 2022, in Edo State, he argued that the four-year tenure ended on January 31, 2026.

According to him, there is no constitutional requirement for any additional inauguration by a supervising authority to validate the commencement of tenure.

“Inauguration does not override the Constitution as the determinant of tenure commencement,” Ahmadu stated.

He further disclosed that the minutes and communiqué of the 2022 elective congress were duly transmitted to FIBA and the Federal Ministry of Sports, describing the records as incontrovertible.
Beyond the tenure issue, the stakeholders raised serious governance concerns.

Col Ahmadu alleged that since 2022, Congress — recognised by the constitution as the supreme authority of the federation — has not been convened as required.

He stated that Congress is mandated to meet at least once annually, yet no such meetings have taken place within that period. He added that the last board meeting was held in 2024.

The group also pointed to what they described as administrative lapses, including the alleged absence of an official federation bank account and claims of conflict of interest linked to a kit sponsorship arrangement involving the former president and the head of the marketing committee.
Additionally, they alleged that two board members — Technical Representative Scot Nnaji and Players’ Representative Stanley Gumut — were removed from the board under questionable circumstances.

They further questioned the increasing reliance on the Emergency Committee, stressing that the constitution does not empower it to replace the Board.
According to them, any decisions taken by the Emergency Committee must be ratified by the full Board which, they claim, has not met in over a year.

The stakeholders insisted that strict obedience to the NBBF statutes and the immediate constitution of a new board would “wipe the tears of basketball” and restore confidence among players, officials, sponsors, and stakeholders.

They urged relevant authorities to act swiftly to convene an elective congress and ensure a transparent process open to all qualified aspirants, warning that failure to follow constitutional procedures could further destabilise the sport.

However, the unfolding situation reflects mounting pressure within the basketball community for reforms anchored on transparency, inclusiveness, and strict respect for constitutional order to safeguard the future of Nigerian basketball

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