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Former D’Tigers captain Olumide Oyedeji has formally entered the race for the presidency of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), pledging to end the divisions that have long held back the sport.
Oyedeji, a Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee and Secretary-General of the World Olympians Association, made his declaration on Monday. He pitched himself as a seasoned administrator and former elite athlete who can unite a fractured basketball community.
He said his bid is not driven by personal ambition but by a call to rebuild, reunite and reposition the game. “I understand the journey because I have lived it, from the grassroots courts of Ibadan to the biggest basketball stages in the world,” he said. “I know the journey, and I am ready to build the pathway for the next generation.”
Oyedeji’s campaign centres on player welfare. He promised insurance schemes, better medical support and injury protection, fair treatment, and structured programmes to prepare athletes for life after their careers.
He also proposed mentoring and educational scholarships for domestic players.
Grassroots and leagues
He plans to work with state associations to set up development programmes across the six geopolitical zones, taking basketball into schools, communities and underserved areas.
“No talented Nigerian child should be denied the opportunity to succeed because of geography, background, connections or financial circumstances,” he said.
He also vowed to restructure the domestic leagues, create a reliable calendar and build competitive, professionally run and commercially attractive men’s and women’s competitions. His plan extends to administrators, medical personnel, journalists, media officers, content creators and marketers, whom he wants developed as part of a wider basketball economy.
Coaches, officials and merit
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Oyedeji pledged continuous training, certification and international exposure for coaches, referees, statisticians and commissioners, through partnerships with FIBA and other bodies. National-team selection, he said, would be based on merit, performance, discipline and commitment.
“Merit, not favouritism, must determine the opportunity,” he said.
Women’s basketball
He promised deliberate investment to help girls and women develop, compete and take leadership roles, arguing that Nigeria’s record of producing outstanding female players must be backed by proper structures.
Transparency and funding
Oyedeji promised audited financial reports, open governance and clear institutional policies to restore confidence in the NBBF. He wants to reposition the federation’s brand to attract sponsors, media-rights partners and private investment, so basketball depends less on government support. He also pledged to work with federal, state and private partners to refurbish facilities and build modern community courts.
He plans to lean on his relationships across the NBA, FIBA and the International Olympic Committee to secure exchange programmes, camps, technical assistance, scholarships and sponsorships.
Describing himself as a “bridge-builder,” he said: “The game belongs to all of us, and everyone must have a meaningful place within it.”
“This election must be about more than choosing an individual. It must be about choosing the future of Nigerian basketball,” he added. “I am not coming to take from basketball. I am coming to build a legacy that will outlive us all.”
He urged delegates to reject personal interests and back a new era of unity, transparency and athlete welfare, ending with: “I am ready to serve you. I am ready to unite us. I am ready to lead.”
