‘Lack of Unity Is Killing Nigerian Basketball’ – Olumide Oyedeji

Former D’Tigers captain and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board member, Olumide Oyedeji, has expressed deep concern over the slow progress of basketball in Nigeria, blaming it on leadership problems and division within the federation.

Speaking in Abeokuta Oyedeji admitted that the problems in Nigerian basketball have gone on for too long. He took responsibility as a board member but said that without unity, the sport will not grow.

“I take responsibility for the failures,” Oyedeji said. “But this is bigger than me or anyone else. Nigerian basketball is suffering because of a lack of unity.”

Oyedeji, who led Nigeria to its historic AfroBasket victory in 2015, described the current state of the NBBF as harmful to the sport. He called on all parties involved to put basketball first, rather than personal interests.

“We need to stop the fighting. Until we work together, nothing good will come out of this. Basketball must come before politics or personal gain,” he added.

The NBBF has been caught in a leadership crisis for several years. This has led to split camps, cancelled local leagues, lost sponsorship deals, and confusion over Nigeria’s place in international competitions.

Now representing the South West zone on the NBBF board, Oyedeji has also been busy supporting youth basketball. He announced plans to hold age-grade competitions across the region to help rebuild the game from the grassroots.

“We are starting U-13, U-16, and U-17 tournaments. Our goal is to grow the game from the bottom up. That is how to discover and train talent the right way,” he explained.

Oyedeji also called for changes to the NBBF’s constitution, saying it currently favours only a few people. He believes a fairer and more inclusive structure is needed to move the game forward.

“We need a constitution that includes everyone. Basketball belongs to all Nigerians, not just a few,” he said.