Basketball
Kida dares Dare
An epic confrontation looks imminent between Nigeria’s sports minister, Sunday Dare and Musa Kida of the Nigeria Basketball Federation.
The immediate past president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and chairman of the succeeding caretaker committee has insisted that Saturday’s election must go on irrespective of contrary directive by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports.
In a press release issued on Tuesday afternoon, the caretaker committee remarked that the NBBF has urged basketball stakeholders to ignore an unsigned press statement credited to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports (FMY&S) on several Social Media platforms indefinitely postponing the NBBF elections.
In a statement signed by the Caretaker Chairman of the federation, Musa Kida, it was stated that the purported postponement is illegal and a direct usurpation of the powers of the NBBF Congress as enshrined in the 2019 NBBF Statutes.
The statement described the move as repugnant to natural justice, equity, good conscience and an arbitrary use of power after the ministry and the Nigeria Olympics Committee had on numerous occasions confirmed the existence of a valid constitution as sanctioned by the Federation of International Basketball Associations in conducting its affairs as dictated by the NBBF constitution.
“After 2017, from the FIBA fact finding Team’s visit to Nigeria in 2018, FIBA, supported by pronouncements by the Nigerian Courts, had put to rest who is the recognized President of the NBBF. The postponement of a duly approved Elective Congress under the guise of a non-existent leadership tussle is therefore meant to mislead all concerned in order to justify this ultra vires act.
The move clearly contradicted the Ministry’s letter dated 30th of October, 2021 recognising the NBBF amongst the 6 National Sporting Federations with approved Constitutions to guide its Electoral processes.
“That at the request of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), FIBA wrote a letter affirming that it had approved the NBBF Constitution which shall be the document to drive the NBBF 2021 Elections”.
“After several meetings called by the ministry and the NOC, between the Chairman, Caretaker Committee and the former NBBF President, Tijani Umar, the FMY&S released a Press Statement dated 30th September, 2021, to the effect that the NBBF constitution approved by FIBA is sacrosanct and its provisions shall be the binding document for the conduct of the 2021 NBBF Elections”, the statement went further.
All these developments led to the Extra Ordinary Congress in Abuja on 9th October, 2021 which set up an Electoral and Appeals Committee and approved Benin as venue for the Elective Congress (by 24 Yes Votes against 2 No Votes), in strict compliance to the provisions of the 2019 NBBF statutes.
It is instructive to note that the Permanent Secretary who issued the Press Release postponing the Elective Congress indefinitely delivered the keynote address at the extraordinary congress which also had in attendance representative of the NOC and Director FEAD at the FMY&S, Dr S. Evbojaiye.
Kida said this leaves much to be desired after the ministry had acknowledged that only the NBBF Congress has the powers to act in line with the NBBF Statutes.
With all arrangements already put in place for the Elective Congress in Benin and FIBA already nominated a representative to monitor the Elective Congress, all delegates and aspirants should note that the NBBF’s Elective Congress as approved by the Extraordinary congress will hold as scheduled.
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.
Here is FIBA’s analysis: The return of the Tokyo Olympian has been a blessing for Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Nigeria.
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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