By Maxwell Kumoye
The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has called on the incoming executive committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to prioritise unity, inclusiveness and a clear vision for the sport.
Olopade made the call on Thursday during the NBBF Elective Congress in Abuja, stressing that persistent disagreements and internal divisions could undermine the development of Nigerian basketball.
He urged the incoming board to adopt a different approach from the previous two administrations by fostering harmony, mutual respect and a shared commitment to the growth of the game.
“The Nigeria Basketball Federation must continue to operate as one family. Wherever there is acrimony, progress is often sacrificed, and that is not what we want for Nigerian basketball,” Olopade said.
The NSC Director-General emphasised that basketball remained a major sport in Nigeria, warning that its importance demanded responsible leadership and a collective effort to move the game forward.
He expressed hope that the new executive committee would usher in an era of unity and clarity of purpose, with stakeholders working together rather than allowing disagreements to derail the sport’s progress.
“I hope the new executive committee will do things differently from the previous two administrations by promoting unity, clarity of purpose, and love across the sport. Basketball is a major sport, and it is not something we can afford to treat lightly.”
Olopade also expressed disappointment over the absence of retired Colonel Sam Ahmedu at the Congress, arguing that his standing in international sports administration should have been sufficient reason to invite him to the gathering.
According to him, Ahmedu’s presence would have further strengthened the credibility of the Congress.
“I had earlier written that, even without FIBA’s correspondence, the National Sports Commission recognises him as the country’s highest-ranking international sports administrators and that he should have been invited to this meeting,” he said.
The NSC chief insisted that the basketball community must embrace an all-inclusive approach to administration, noting that the exclusion of key stakeholders could undermine efforts to build confidence in the federation’s leadership.
“I am particularly disappointed that Col. Sam Ahmedu is not here. I had earlier written that, even without FIBA’s correspondence, the Nigerian Sports community recognises him as the country’s highest-ranking international sports administrators, and he should have been invited to this meeting. Unfortunately, he is absent because of the way things have been handled.”
His comments came amid concerns surrounding the NBBF electoral process and calls from some stakeholders for greater transparency and adherence to the federation’s governing regulations.
Olopade, however, concluded his address by joining the Congress chairman in welcoming delegates and participants to the elective gathering.
His message was clear, “If we want to do things peacefully, the process must be all-encompassing. The fact that he is not here today is disappointing, because his presence would have given this event even greater credibility.”
The NSC DG stated that, the new NBBF leadership must look beyond internal disagreements and unite the basketball community around a common goal of sustainable growth and development.
