Pius Ayinor
Former D’Tigers captain and one of Nigeria Olympic Committee Vice Presidents, Olumide Oyedeji has formally declared his intention to contest for the presidency of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF). He promises to end the divisions that have continued to undermine the sport’s development.Oyedeji, who is also the Secretary-General of the World Olympians Association, made his declaration on Monday, presenting himself as “an experienced administrator and former elite athlete capable of uniting Nigeria’s fractured basketball community and repositioning the sport for sustainable growth.”
The former Nigerian international said his decision was not driven by personal ambition but by what he described as a call to rebuild, reunite and reposition Nigerian basketball.
With more than three decades of involvement in the game, Oyedeji believes his journey from grassroots basketball in Ibadan to the NBA, Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, African Games and professional leagues across six continents gives him a unique understanding of the challenges confronting Nigerian basketball.
“I understand the journey because I have lived it—from the grassroots courts of Ibadan to the biggest basketball stages in the world,” Oyedeji said.
“I know the journey, and I am ready to build the pathway for the next generation.”
The NBBF presidential hopeful said Nigerian basketball possesses the talent, coaches, officials and youthful population required to compete at the highest level, but argued that the country’s potential has been held back by poor structures, inadequate investment, disunity and leadership crises.
Oyedeji’s campaign is built around an athlete-centred philosophy, with players’ welfare placed at the heart of his proposed administration.
He pledged to pursue appropriate insurance schemes, improved medical support and injury protection, fair treatment of athletes and structured programmes to prepare players for life after their competitive careers.
He also proposed post-career mentoring initiatives and educational scholarships for domestic players, insisting that the responsibility of the federation should not end when an athlete’s playing career comes to an end.
At the foundation of Oyedeji’s proposed administration is an aggressive grassroots development programme.
He plans to work with state associations to establish functional development programmes across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones while taking basketball into schools, communities, local governments and underserved areas.
According to him, talent identification must no longer be concentrated in a handful of major cities.
“No talented Nigerian child should be denied the opportunity to succeed because of geography, background, connections or financial circumstances,” he declared.
He also promised to revitalise basketball in secondary schools, colleges, academies and grassroots competitions while establishing a clearer pathway from youth basketball to domestic leagues, national teams and professional opportunities abroad.
