Former D’Tigers captain and NBA player Olumide Oyedeji has formally declared his intention to become president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, pledging to rebuild trust, unite stakeholders and create a stronger development pathway for the next generation of Nigerian players.
Oyedeji entered the race ahead of the October 15 NBBF Elective Congress in Abuja, where a new board for the 2026–2030 tenure will be elected. Incumbent president Musa Kida has announced he will not seek a third term.
The former Seattle SuperSonics centre said his decision was not driven by personal ambition, describing it instead as a mission to “rebuild, reunite and reposition” Nigerian basketball after years of administrative disagreements.
“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.”
It is a journey spanning more than three decades. Oyedeji rose from Nigerian basketball to the NBA and went on to play professionally across six continents, while representing D’Tigers at the Olympic Games, FIBA World Championship, Commonwealth Games and African Games.
His post-playing career has also moved heavily into administration. He currently serves as a Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee and Secretary-General of the World Olympians Association.
Oyedeji’s programme includes restructuring the domestic leagues around a reliable calendar, strengthening grassroots basketball across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, improving player welfare and investing deliberately in women’s basketball.
He has also promised greater transparency through audited financial reporting and clearer governance structures, while advocating training and international exposure for coaches, referees and other technical officials.
“Merit, not favouritism, must determine the opportunity,” Oyedeji said, adding that national-team selection should reflect performance, discipline and commitment.
With the election approaching, Oyedeji is presenting his transition from player to administrator as central to his candidacy.
“I am not coming to take from basketball. I am coming to build a legacy that will outlive us all,” he said.
For a man who travelled from the courts of Ibadan to basketball’s biggest stages, Oyedeji now wants his next assignment to be rebuilding the system that started his own journey.
