Basketball
ZENITH BANK, NBBF PROPOSE BETTER STRUCTURE FOR ENHANCED WOMEN LEAGUE
Title sponsors of the Women’s Basketball League Zenith Bank and the Nigeria Basketball Federation want a better structure put in place to improve the standard of the league and make it more competitive and economically rewarding for players
An agreement on this was reached today at a meeting between Zenith bank and NBBF at its Corporate headquarters in Lagos.
Nwabueze Chidubem of the Bank’s Corporate Communications department said there was need to set salary benchmarks for players to ensure that their welfare aligned with international best practices.
“We need to set a standard fundamentally and basic salary benchmarks for players. It begins with the organization of the teams. We will propose that salaries and match bonuses of players are paid directly by the bank or through the teams with proper monitoring.
“People need to have a better understanding of our league which will capture the teams, phases, time frame and venues.
The timetable will not only help us as sponsors in planning for the league, it will also help teams in preparing ahead of time. If we say we have a premier league, we need to know on time.”
Chidubem acknowledged that in view of the economic reality in Nigeria, there is need to do more in improving the sponsorship package of the league.
Christopher Chukwura also of Zenith Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility department expressed optimism that a new chapter has been opened in the bank’s relationship with NBBF and appealed for early submission of proposals.
The NBBF represented by its Vice President, Babatunde Ogunade and Oni Afolabi, the media representative thanked Zenith Bank for their unflinching support to basketball in the past 12 years.
At the meeting with the oldest surviving sponsor of basketball in Nigeria, Ogunade reiterated the need to create a friendly environment around the league where people can come and enjoy themselves while watching the sport they love.
“If three people gather today to play basketball, people will still stop and watch them. What we need to create in our partnership with Zenith Bank is the attendant value for the league, the organiser and the sponsor.
“As we are all aware, sports go hand in hand with music, entertainment, pleasure, tourism and hospitality. We must leverage on all these to make the league a bigger brand than what we have had so far.”
The federation promised that a structure will be put in place to reward and protect players who are the major actors irrespective of the sponsorship coming to the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League.
“We will create an environment where the players are the bigger brand than the administrators because without them, we won’t be sitting here talking about basketball.”
Ogunade reminded Zenith Bank’s management of their promise to support the senior women’s national team ahead of their world cup outing in 2018 while appealing for Zenith Bank’s backing for the D’Tigers who will be commencing their World Cup qualifiers in February, 2018.
“Like Oliver Twist, the federation will continue to ask for more. We know we can continue to count on you for the sponsorship of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League and the World Cup outing of the D’Tigress in 2018.
“We will also need your assistance for the senior men’s national team ahead of their own qualifiers.”
Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
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For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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