Basketball
On June 12 We Stand, Says Tijjani Umar’s NBBF
Alhaji Tijjani Umar is holding tenaciously to the mandate he got at the June 12 NBBF election in Kano.
Nigeria at the moment has two parallel bodies governing basketball. Sports Village Square recalls that on Monday, a faction held election in Kano which produced Tijjani Umar as its president.
The election took place 24 hours before the general election into the boards of 31 sports federations that was supervised by both the Nigeria Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
The Abuja election produced Ahmadu Kida as the president. Meanwhile, the Kano elected NBBF board on Wednesday issued a media release which was also sent to the Sports Village Square.
In the statement signed by its media adviser, Patrick Omorodion, the board remarked that it followed due process to the letter in conducting its election of June 12.
“The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) is in custody of the NBBF ratified Constitution and the election rules and regulation which the NOC made input into for the conduct of the election.
“Let it be known to all therefore that the NOC was fully aware and briefed on the intention of the NBBF to conduct its election according to its constitution which is the best practice around the world.
“In addition, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) was consulted and it made input into the Constitution of the Federation before it was adopted and ratified by the Congress of the NBBF Annual General Meeting on 30 January, 2017.
“The Constitution is superior to any document guiding the NBBF in the conduct of its affairs and there are articles and clear provisions empowering the federation to conduct its election and stipulating the composition of the Board of the Federation.
“The Board as it is composed in the constitution is the most broad-based, covering the basketball technical bodies, players representative, women’s representative, members of the international bodies and one representative each from the six geo-political zones elected by their state chairmen.
“Having followed the provisions of its constitution and taking away basketball from the highest bidder, the new basketball board will not waste any precious time arguing with anyone trying to justify the legality or otherwise of the election in Kano or Abuja.
“It is a fact known to all that the Secretary General of the NOC who is aware of all these facts has betrayed the NOC family in Nigeria by pursuing an agenda that is not acceptable to the rest of the NOC Exco and Executive Board.
“In this circumstance, the newly elected NBBF Board led by Tijjani Umar and Olumide Oyedeji has forwarded to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and all who should know a full report on the election and will await any action or decision from it”, read part of the press statement.
The statement continues: “In conclusion, it is our utmost duty to follow due process and the best way of doing things if we profess to love our game and country and it should never be difficult for any stakeholder to do or recognize what is right.
“It is on record that the Abuja elections of 13 June, 2017 were characterized by intrigues, irregularities, mischief and outright confusion and Nigeria does not deserve this.
“The NBBF will not contribute to this way of doing things and therefore appeal to the Media to also exercise great caution in publicising only positive stories that make Nigeria look good, honourable and respectable in the international community”.
By Ugo Okeiyi, Enugu
The end-of-year Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational Tournament, tagged “Championing the Youth Through Sports, Education and Opportunity,” has taken off and will be concluded on Friday. The three-day event is taking place at the Indoor Sports Multipurpose Gymnasium, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
The grassroots basketball competition is designed to serve as a platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian basketball talent.
A total of 14 teams — eight male and six female sides drawn from across the country — are competing for honours in what promises to be an exciting three-day basketball spectacle.
The tournament is powered by the Anthony Ozubuekwe Foundation, in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry for Youth and Sports Development and the Enugu State Basketball Association.
Organisers say fans should expect high-quality action, with displays of skill, athleticism and tactical awareness from some of the most promising young players in the country.
According to the organisers, the initiative is structured to positively engage young people, steering them away from social vices and criminal tendencies, while using sports as a tool for education, personal development and opportunity creation.
They added that the tournament will also give coaches and team officials a valuable opportunity to assess the mental readiness, discipline and competitive mindset of the players, while providing a conducive environment for athletes to interact, bond and learn from one another.
The competition will be played in a round-robin format, with attractive prize money on offer. In the men’s category, the champions will receive ₦2 million and a giant trophy, while the runners-up will earn ₦1.5 million.
In the women’s category, the winning team will go home with ₦1.5 million, while the second-placed team will receive ₦750,000.
With its blend of competition, youth empowerment and community development, the Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational is expected to be one of the standout grassroots sports events of the year in Enugu State.
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Former head coach of Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, Alex Nwora, will join family, friends and well-wishers on December 28, 2025, to celebrate the 90th birthday of his father, Chief Charles Okwudi Nworah, in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The milestone celebration, according to Evelyn Childs, Public Relations Officer of the US-based Imo Women Elite Club (IWEC), will take place at the expansive Onitsha compound of the nonagenarian, who is highly regarded in his community.
Born on April 17, 1936, to Akudo and Agnes Nwora of the Okakwu family in Ogbedogwu Village, Onitsha, Chief Nworah’s early years reflected strong family values rooted in education and public service. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School before moving on to Prince Commercial College, and later completed his secondary education at Baptist High School, Osogbo, in Osun State.
Chief Nworah began his career in the civil service at a young age with the Post and Telecommunications Service (P&T), where his father also served and retired as a senior manager. His professional journey continued seamlessly into Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) following the merger of P&T with the Nigerian External Telecommunications.
Alex Nwora, who led D’Tigers through notable periods of growth and international competition, is expected to play a central role in the celebration, which will bring together members of the extended Nwora family and the Onitsha community to honour the life and legacy of the elder statesman.
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours on all members of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, in recognition of their historic victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Each member of the team was decorated with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) title at a special reception held on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Representing the president at the event was Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced a series of generous rewards for the champions.
In addition to the national honours, each player will receive $100,000, while each member of the technical crew will be given $50,000. The government also pledged a flat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to every player and official on the squad.
The rewards follow D’Tigress’s emphatic 78-64 win over Mali in Sunday’s AfroBasket final, played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan. The victory marked Nigeria’s fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, a feat unmatched in the tournament’s history. With the triumph, D’Tigress also secured an automatic berth to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
President Tinubu, in his remarks delivered by Vice President Shettima, hailed the team’s resilience, determination, and consistency, describing their dominance on the continental stage as a symbol of national pride and inspiration to the youth.
Present at the reception were First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, Garba Maidoki, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youths and Sports Development, and Kabiru Amadou, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports.
The honours and incentives underscore the government’s renewed commitment to recognising excellence in sports and motivating future champions.
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