Nigeria wheelchair basketball captain Ijigbamigbe Gbemisola Olubisi has praised the intervention of National Sports Commission Director-General Bukola Olopade, revealing that efforts to provide the team with sporting wheelchairs ahead of the Commonwealth Games have brought renewed optimism after years of equipment and funding challenges.
Ijigbamigbe, who identified inadequate sponsorship, limited awareness and outdated equipment among the major difficulties confronting wheelchair basketball in Nigeria, said the situation was beginning to improve following recent support.
Speaking in an interview with Sports247, the national team captain singled out Olopade’s intervention as an important boost for players preparing to represent the country.
“I will say sponsorship, awareness and lack of updated equipment have always been challenges for us,” Ijigbamigbe said.
“But now, it is getting a little bit better, and the Director of Sports, Honourable Bukola Olopade, has helped get us some chairs for the Commonwealth Games.”
The development is particularly significant for wheelchair basketball players because the quality and suitability of competition chairs can have a major influence on mobility, speed and overall performance.
Unlike everyday wheelchairs, basketball wheelchairs are specifically designed for competitive sport, making access to appropriate equipment an important part of preparing athletes for international competition.
Ijigbamigbe’s comments therefore underline the importance of the intervention as Nigeria’s players seek to compete on better terms with their international counterparts.
The captain, however, believes more work remains to be done to address the wider challenges facing the sport.
She revealed that inadequate sponsorship has previously prevented the national team from attending international competitions, including events carrying qualification opportunities and ranking points.
“We have had issues with sponsorship when we are meant to travel for an international competition to qualify or get some points, but because of sponsorship, we couldn’t go, and that has affected us a whole lot,” she said.
Missing such competitions can have consequences beyond the immediate disappointment of being unable to travel, with players losing valuable international exposure and the national team potentially missing opportunities to improve its competitive standing.
The financial limitations surrounding wheelchair basketball have also affected athletes individually.
Despite captaining Nigeria, Ijigbamigbe currently combines elite basketball with a 9-to-5 job in the hospitality industry, explaining that the financial rewards available in Nigerian para-sports are not yet sufficient for many athletes to depend exclusively on sport.
“Sports in Nigeria, especially for para-athletes, is not something you should solely depend on because the financial aspect is not forthcoming due to the limited number of games we can participate in,” she explained.
Ijigbamigbe nevertheless remains determined to eventually become a full-time professional player and believes greater investment could create similar opportunities for other wheelchair basketball athletes across the country.
She also pointed to initiatives providing training and international connections for players as evidence that structures around the sport can improve when the necessary support is available.
For the Nigeria captain, the provision of sporting wheelchairs represents an encouraging development, but sustained sponsorship, better equipment and increased international participation will be required if the country’s wheelchair basketball programme is to fulfil its potential.
After years in which players have sometimes been unable to attend competitions because of financial constraints, Ijigbamigbe believes there are now signs of progress.
And with preparations for the Commonwealth Games gathering momentum, Olopade’s intervention has given the players something they have long demanded — better tools with which to compete for Nigeria on the international stage
