D’Tigress Shine, League Falters As NBBF Faces Leadership Transition in January

D’Tigress Shine, League Falters As NBBF Faces Leadership Transition in January

By Niyi Busari 

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) is set for a leadership shake-up in January 2026 when its current president, Musa Kida, completes his second and final term, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Since assuming office in 2017, Kida has presided over a period of contrasting fortunes for Nigerian basketball. On the one hand, the women’s national team, D’Tigress, achieved unprecedented continental dominance. On the other hand, the domestic league system suffered severe decline, leaving the sport’s grassroots development in disarray.

Under Kida’s stewardship, D’Tigress won five consecutive FIBA AfroBasket titles — in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 — becoming the first African women’s team to achieve such a feat. Though Senegal who have won 11 Afrobasket titles hold the record of being the most successful team in Africa. D'Tigress with seven titles are the second best after Senegal despite only team to win five times in a row.

But while D’Tigress thrived, the men’s and women’s domestic leagues fell into crisis. Before 2017, clubs played around 28 league games each season (in a home and away league format). That structure has since collapsed, replaced by a shortened format where selected clubs gather in a single venue and play fewer than seven games over a two-week span. Critics say the weakened system has undermined Nigeria’s clubs on the continental stage, resulting in poor performances in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Beyond the league’s decline, internal divisions have marred Kida’s administration. Several board members accuse him of sidelining them in decision-making, including the unilateral appointment of national team coaches announced through the media. They also alleged that the federation’s congress has not convened for the past three years, a breach of the NBBF statute.

Although the NBBF constitution bars presidents from serving more than two terms, speculation remains that the National Sports Commission could attempt to back Kida for a third. This would mirror the controversy of 2017, when former president Tijjani Umar was blocked from seeking a third term, paving the way for Kida’s election.

Further uncertainty surrounds the timing of the next election. While the constitution mandates January 2026, there are reports the NBBF leadership may shift the exercise to October, aligning with when the Ministry of Sports formally recognized the current board in 2022.

As his tenure winds down, stakeholders are also pressing for an independent forensic audit of the federation’s finances. They want all sponsorship deals reviewed and Kida’s claims of personally funding national team programs verified, with any debts duly refunded.

With Nigeria’s women’s national team at their peak but the domestic league languishing, the incoming leadership faces a clear challenge: revive the league to restore the foundation of Nigerian basketball.