President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the election of Mustapha Abdullahi as President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, saying the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria has a major chance to reshape the sport’s development across the country.
Mandate for the new NBBF leadership
Tinubu urged Abdullahi to bring his leadership background and administrative knowledge to the federation, with a focus on making its operations stronger, better organised and more effective.
- Improve the federation’s overall management structure.
- Create wider pathways for young Nigerian basketball players.
- Help emerging talents compete successfully in domestic and international competitions.
In a Friday statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said he believed the incoming NBBF leadership could drive progress through sound governance, stronger player identification systems and long-term investment in athletes.
Player welfare and grassroots focus
The President called on Abdullahi to place player wellbeing at the heart of his tenure while expanding basketball programmes at grassroots level. He also stressed that male and female players must both be given sufficient support and opportunities to fulfil their potential.
Tinubu said the federation’s lasting advancement should rest on several core priorities:
- Better welfare provisions for basketball players.
- Efficient scouting and identification of promising talent.
- Equal promotion of men’s and women’s basketball.
- Continued development of players from across Nigeria.
“The new NBBF leadership should focus on enhancing athletes’ welfare, proper talent identification and the advancement of men’s and women’s basketball as key foundations for the sport’s long-term development,” Tinubu said.
Call for unity across Nigerian basketball
Tinubu also appealed to all major figures in the Nigerian basketball community to rally behind the new administration and help establish a federation that is more competitive and professionally run.
His appeal covered players, coaches, administrators, sponsors and supporters, whom he asked to work together in backing Abdullahi’s leadership. The President said durable improvement in the game will depend on shared dedication, stable institutions and a purposeful nationwide plan to identify and develop rising players.
Sports as a national development tool
The President restated his government’s view that sport remains an important vehicle for empowering young people, strengthening national unity and projecting Nigeria positively beyond its borders.
“I wish the new NBBF president a productive tenure and assure him that the Federal Government will continue to recognise sport as a vital avenue for youth empowerment, national cohesion and international engagement,” Tinubu added.
