- Ugo Udezue emerges Vice President
Pius Ayinor
Mustapha Abdullahi has been elected and sworn-in immediately as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) along with his Board members. He defeated former D’Tigers captain Olumide Oyedeji and former international Ejike Ugboaja in Thursday’s election in Abuja.
The Board was sworn in at the National Stadium by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission Shehu Dikko and his Director General Olopade.
This is unlike the last Board that had to wait until October 2022 before they were sworn-in by the then sports minister Sunday Dare despite being elected in January 2022.
At the election held at the International Conference Centre, Abdullahi secured 48 votes to emerge victorious, while Oyedeji polled eight votes. Ugboaja failed to record a vote in the election, which has introduced a new administration of Nigeria Basketball.
Abdullahi, who is also the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria succeeds Musa Kida, who currently serves as the NNPC Chairman.
Ugo Udezue (AFA Sports) emerged as the federation’s Vice President unopposed, having been the sole candidate for the position. He had earlier been re-elected as the South-East representative on the NBBF board.
Other zonal representatives elected to the board include Fubara Fobika from the South-South, Babatunde Oguntade from the South-West, Yusuf Surajo from the North-East, Abubakar Abba Kaka from the North-West and Abdullahi Mustapha from the North-Central.
Abdullahi’s election marks the beginning of a new chapter for the NBBF, with expectations now centred on the priorities and policies his administration will introduce to advance basketball development nationwide. Most Nigerians want a basketball ecosystem without in-fights and factions that affected developments in the last 16 years.
Abdullahi has promised total overhaul of the game in the country, with emphasis on players welfare good grassroots development and stronger league, among others.
He said this during his acceptance speech on Thursday following his victory during the Federation’s elective congress in Abuja.
He noted, “My presidency will mark a decisive departure from business as usual. We cannot keep doing things the same way and expect a different result. Nigerian basketball needs more than enthusiasm; it needs strategic leadership, sound administration, institutional reforms and measurable results,” he said.
“We will rebuild from the grassroots, strengthen our domestic leagues, protect players’ welfare, invest in coaches and referees, advance women’s basketball, improve our facilities and make our federation transparent, united and commercially sustainable.
“We will pursue excellence for D’Tigers, D’Tigress and our youth teams, while ensuring that basketball becomes a pathway to education, employment, enterprise and national unity.
“We will also open the doors of the federation to meaningful partnerships with the private sector, corporate Nigeria, international basketball institutions and our global diaspora. Our game must become not only a source of national pride but also a sustainable industry that creates jobs, attracts investment and rewards excellence. Every promise we make must translate into action, and every reform must be measured by its impact on the people and institutions we serve.
“To those who voted for me, I am grateful. To those who voted differently, I extend my hand in fellowship. The election is over; the work begins now. There will be no division in our pursuit of progress, no place for complacency, and no retreat from accountability.
“As promised, we will hit the ground running. In the coming weeks, we will unveil a comprehensive implementation blueprint outlining how we intend to translate our transformation agenda for the NBBF into concrete actions, measurable outcomes and sustainable progress.”
Photo: Mustapha Abdullahi
