Vice President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Babatunde Ogunade, says the federation is focused on building a stronger and more sustainable development pathway for Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams.
Ogunade’s comments come amid growing concerns from Nigerian sports fans over the country’s preparation for major international competitions, with several national teams facing criticism over inadequate training camps and limited competitive exposure.
The NBBF official said the federation’s priority is to create an environment where young players can develop through quality competitions, experienced coaches, modern facilities and consistent exposure to high-level basketball.
Rather than relying on short-term preparation immediately before major tournaments, Ogunade believes Nigeria needs a structured pathway that develops players from youth level and gradually prepares them for senior international basketball.
The approach is particularly important as several Nigerian teams currently face major international assignments.
The D’Tigers are continuing their campaign to qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, while the Junior D’Tigress are preparing for the 2027 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. The senior D’Tigress are also preparing for their own World Cup campaign in Berlin.
Ogunade believes the federation’s development programme must serve all of these teams by ensuring that players are identified early and provided with opportunities to develop before reaching the senior national teams.
The NBBF vice president also stressed the importance of providing young players with regular competitive basketball rather than relying solely on training sessions.
Quality opposition, he believes, allows developing players to understand the demands of international basketball while allowing coaches to identify areas requiring improvement.
The federation’s approach comes at a time when Nigeria’s basketball teams are attempting to maintain the country’s strong reputation on the African continent while also competing successfully at the global level.
The development of a deeper talent pool would also reduce the pressure on the senior teams to rely on a small group of established players.
Ogunade’s emphasis on facilities and coaching reflects the wider need for Nigerian sport to move towards long-term athlete development rather than tournament-to-tournament preparation.
The NBBF’s stated objective is therefore to build a continuous pipeline of players, coaches and support structures capable of sustaining Nigeria’s men’s and women’s basketball programmes at international level.
