Basketball
NIGERIA’S CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, BURATAI BIDS KIDA FAREWELL AS PRESIDENT OF NBBF BOWS OUT OF SERVICE
The bond between the Nigerian military and basketball displayed as the head of Nigerian Army paid tributes to the chieftain of basketball organization in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Army had in the past had iconic basketball figures like Col. Sam Ahmedu and the late Gen Joseph Garba.
Now, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Y Buratai has joined notable members of the global community in eulogizing the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ahmadu Musa Kida as he bows out of active service at Total E&P Nigeria.
In his goodwill message, Lt. Gen. Buratai described Kida as a kind gentleman, hardworking, very industrious and a philanthropist per excellence which has not only seen him impact his immediate community but also the global community.
Tracing their journey, Buratai revealed that, “Engr Ahmadu Musa Kida is a brother and a close friend. We both hail from Biu Emirate of Borno State. My father and his father were very close also.”
The Chief of Army Staff while reminiscing on how their friendship started said, “I have known Ahmadu Musa Kida since 1985 when I was a young officer serving in 26 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Elele near Port Harcourt.”
Though having lost contact in 1986, they reconnected in 2011 when Buratai was appointed the Commander, 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt.
While extolling his virtues, Kida was described as a keen sportsman, a professional basketball player and administrator as well as a sincere friend of the Nigerian Army through his numerous and generous interventions.
“While I was in Port Harcourt as a 2 Brigade commander, he generously intervened through the renovation of some of our troops residential accommodations. He equally funded the renovation of the headquarters, 2 Brigade quarter guard.
Buratai added that, “He is indeed a close friend of the Nigerian Army. He is among the few and the first to intervene in the infrastructural development of the newly established Nigerian Army University, Biu. He funded the building of the maternity and child care hospital at the university. This has since been completed and handed over.”
The son of the former Chief Judge – Grand Khadi of Borno state was also described as jovial, friendly and always willing to assist the less privileged.
“As he moves on to a new life as a retiree who served his country meritoriously at the global oil and gas community, I wish Engr Ahmadu Musa Kida a very happy retirement life, Congratulations”, Lt. Gen. Buratai concluded.
Kida started his career as a professional at ELF Petroleum Nigeria as a trainee engineer and materials coordinator before joining Total Exploration & Production Nigeria in 1985.
In August 2015, Kida was appointed the Deputy Managing Director of the Deepwater District in Lagos, a position he held till he retired.
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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