Basketball
NIGERIA BASKETBALL FEDERATION ASSURES SPONSORS OF MAXIMUM MILEAGE
In the light of the continued successes of its national teams on the international scene, the Nigeria Basketball Federation has assured prospective sponsors of media mileage and global business exposure.
The federation, through its Vice President, Babatunde Ogunade said this on Friday during a meeting with Afro-American basketball superstar, Andre Ighoudala who is on an official trip to Nigeria.
According to Ogunade, the Nigeria Basketball Federation is leaving no stone unturned in boosting its financial capacity as relying on government as its sole financier is not sustainable in the long term.
Ogunade who in the company of fellow board members, Felix Awogu and Oni Afolabi said it was high time sponsors identified basketball as one of the key federations capable of positively exposing their brands to the global market.
“Since we took over in 2017, we have continued to enjoy unimaginable successes on the global stage. D’Tigress have won two Afrobasket titles, gotten to the quarter final of the World Cup while the men won silver medal at the 2017 Afrobasket, first country in the world to qualify for the World Cup as well as finishing as the best African team at the just concluded World Cup to pick the 2020 Olympics ticket.”
“The 3×3 teams have conquered Africa, been to the World Cup and are a strong force to reckon with. Today, I can boldly say basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in Nigeria.”
Sequel to the newfound status of basketball on the global stage, the NBBF believes private investors have a lot to gain in terms of media exposure if they partner with the federation.
“All eyes are on our national teams while the global media buzz around the teams have continued to increase. Investors, partners and sponsors have a lot to gain.”
“We have so many grassroots programs, Men’s Divisions one and two, the Zenith Women League and the Men’s Premier League that are in need of attention”, Ogunade said.
In his response, Ighoudala who has won three NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors as well as the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics titles with USA praised the performance of the D’Tigers at the World Cup.
“Congratulations on the qualification for the Olympics. I monitored the performance of the team in China and this amazing team impressed me. I also heard about the women’s team, which also won the 2019 title. These achievements are commendable.”
Currently on the books of Memphis Grizzlies, the Silicon Valley investor and Jumia Nigeria, Ighoudala assured the federation that he would look at possible ways to partner the federation in growing basketball in Nigeria.
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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