NWACHUKWU BEN, ABUJA
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, has unveiled an ambitious grassroots development plan aimed at producing a new generation of Nigerian basketball stars while creating a clear pathway from schools and communities to professional clubs and the national teams.
Abdullahi, who spoke ahead of the October 15 NBBF elective congress in Abuja, said Nigerian basketball had reached a critical point where its enormous talent base must be matched with a structured development system capable of consistently producing players and officials of international standard.
He declared that his proposed administration would establish a coordinated national schools basketball programme, strengthen competitions from the local government to national levels and create regional talent centres across the country.
According to him, the next generation of D’Tigers and D’Tigress players are already playing in schools, communities, academies and local courts, but many talented youngsters are being lost because there is no dependable system for identifying, tracking and developing them.
Abdullahi said his administration would introduce a national talent-identification and player-tracking system, linking schools, academies, clubs, leagues and national teams.
He stressed that geography, poverty or lack of political and sporting connections should no longer determine whether a talented Nigerian child gets an opportunity to develop a basketball career.
“No talented Nigerian child should be denied an opportunity because of geography, economic circumstances or lack of connections,” he said.
The presidential hopeful, who has been involved in basketball development for decades, said his experience had convinced him that the sport could become a powerful instrument for youth empowerment and social development.
Through the DAM Foundation, he said he had already supported grassroots competitions, talent development, player welfare and sporting infrastructure, including basketball facilities in Kano and Kogi.
He promised to replicate the initiative nationwide if elected.
Abdullahi also identified the strengthening of domestic competitions as a major priority, promising a predictable league calendar, stronger club structures, proper licensing, improved player contracts and welfare, better venues, digital statistics and stronger broadcasting arrangements.
He said Nigerian players should no longer remain inactive for prolonged periods because of weaknesses in the domestic competition structure.
His proposal also includes continuous training and certification for coaches, referees, statisticians, physiotherapists, team managers and other technical personnel, with greater exposure to modern analytics, scouting and performance-management systems.
On the national teams, Abdullahi said D’Tigers, D’Tigress and Nigeria’s age-grade teams must move away from emergency preparations for international competitions to permanent development structures.
He promised early preparation, merit-based selection, proper welfare, medical support, professional technical crews and long-term succession planning for the national teams.
He singled out D’Tigress as proof of what Nigerian basketball could achieve when talent received proper support, promising that women’s basketball would remain a major pillar of his development agenda.
Infrastructure, he added, would receive special attention through a nationwide audit of basketball facilities, renovation of abandoned courts and partnerships with governments and the private sector to build community courts and regional high-performance centres.
But Abdullahi said infrastructure alone would not transform the sport, insisting that development must be backed by professional administration, investment and measurable results.
He also proposed a 100-day action plan that would include an audit of the federation’s finances, competitions, facilities and development programmes; a national stakeholders’ summit; a unified competition calendar; advisory structures for players, coaches, referees and clubs; and a digital registration and statistics platform.
Abdullahi said the ultimate objective was to move Nigerian basketball from a sport with enormous potential to one that consistently competes for honours on the international stage.
He further pledged to use basketball as a tool for youth empowerment, saying the sport could help connect young people, create opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to violence and banditry.
“I am not promising perfection. I am promising leadership that will listen, build partnerships, establish systems and measure itself by results,” he said.
The NBBF presidential candidate urged delegates to view the October 15 election as more than a contest for office, saying it represented an opportunity to determine the future direction of Nigerian basketball.
He said: “The NBBF presidency should not be about personal entitlement. It should be about service.”
Abdullahi promised that, if elected, his administration would work towards building a united, professionally administered and sustainable basketball system capable of discovering talent in every part of Nigeria and turning that talent into international success.
He concluded with a call for a new beginning, declaring: “Together, we can move Nigerian basketball from potential to podium.”
, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, has unveiled an ambitious grassroots development plan aimed at producing a new generation of Nigerian basketball stars while creating a clear pathway from schools and communities to professional clubs and the national teams.){kind=link}