Former D’Tigers captain and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board member, Olumide Oyedeji, has raised fresh concerns about the stagnation of basketball in Nigeria, attributing it to persistent leadership crises and division within the federation.
In an interview with Sports247 in Abeokuta, Oyedeji took personal responsibility for the federation’s shortcomings over the years, stating that without unity, Nigerian basketball may continue to falter.
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“I’ll take responsibility for the failures we’ve seen. But this is not about me or anyone else individually—this is about Nigeria basketball. The lack of unity is killing the game,” he said.
The revered ex-international, who captained the national team to its historic 2015 AfroBasket triumph, described the situation within the NBBF as counterproductive, calling on all factions to put the interest of the sport above personal or political gain.
“We must stop the division. We must put Nigeria basketball first. Until we come together as a united front, there will be no real change or growth,” he emphasized.
The NBBF has been embroiled in a longstanding leadership tussle, resulting in factionalism, stalled local leagues, missed sponsorship opportunities, and confusion over Nigeria’s international representation.
Olumide, now representing the South West on the NBBF board, has also been active in promoting grassroots basketball. He revealed plans to launch several youth development programs focused on age-grade competitions to revive the sport from the foundation up.
“We’re introducing U-13, U-16, and U-17 tournaments across the region. The goal is to build from the grassroots and ensure long-term development. We must develop talents the right way,” he added.
Calling for structural reform, Oyedeji also criticized the current constitution of the federation, urging for an inclusive framework that represents all stakeholders fairly.
“We need a constitution that speaks for everybody, not something designed to favor a few individuals. Basketball belongs to all of us,” he concluded.
As the dust of years-long disputes continues to cloud the sport’s future, Oyedeji’s passionate plea serves as a wake-up call to stakeholders, fans, and administrators alike: unite or watch Nigeria’s basketball potential go unfulfilled.
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