FIBA Africa President Backs Oyedeji To Help Restore Stability In Nigerian Basketball

FIBA Africa President Backs Oyedeji To Help Restore Stability In Nigerian Basketball

By Admin 

Retired Colonel Sam Ahmedu has expressed confidence that newly elected Secretary General of World Olympians Association (WOA ) and former Nigeria captain Olumide Oyedeji can play a key role in restoring stability to Nigerian basketball, as stakeholders intensify efforts to resolve years of administrative turmoil.

Ahmedu, who serves as President of FIBA Africa Zone 3 and remains one of the most influential figures in the country’s basketball administration, spoke following a crucial stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja aimed at resetting the governance structure of the sport.

He suggested that the prolonged crisis that has disrupted Nigerian basketball may be nearing a resolution, emphasising that lasting peace would only come through structure, dialogue and strict adherence to due process.

Central to Ahmedu’s outlook is the involvement of Oyedeji, whom he described as a credible and unifying figure at a time when confidence in basketball administration remains fragile. Oyedeji, a former NBA player and long-serving national team captain, represented Nigeria at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Africa Games and several major continental tournaments.

Describing the Abuja meeting as a potential turning point, Ahmedu said, “This is a fresh tip-off,” signalling what he hopes will be a new chapter for the sport.

Nigerian basketball has been mired in leadership disputes, legal battles and repeated programme suspensions in recent years, creating prolonged uncertainty for players, coaches and officials.

Ahmedu maintained that the only sustainable path forward lies in discipline and order, anchored by a properly constituted Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Elective Congress, which he said was being targeted to hold on or before March 31.

“We want to follow the law and do things in an orderly manner,” he said, while acknowledging the existence of constitutional grey areas. “The constitution is for us; we can adjust. But we must not overstretch it, and we must not violate it.”

He stressed that the Elective Congress remains the supreme authority in the sport, warning against shortcuts, power struggles or hastily arranged decisions. He also urged all stakeholders to exercise restraint and allow the agreed process to run its course.

According to Ahmedu, the Abuja meeting should be viewed as the foundation for a legitimate and inclusive electoral process, rather than a contest for control.

He added that if the current momentum is maintained, Nigerian basketball could finally move beyond internal conflict and refocus on performance, development and growth — a shift he described as the beginning of a new game for the sport.

Credit: Punch newspaper