NBBF leadership tussle deepens as FIBA, NOC reject Kida extension narrative
By Maxwell Kumoye with additional report by Niyi Busari
The leadership crisis brewing in Nigerian basketball deepened on Thursday after the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and outgoing Nigeria Basketball Federation vice-president Babs Ogunade firmly rejected viral claims that the world governing body had endorsed the continued leadership of Musa Kida beyond his constitutional tenure.
Reports circulating widely on social media had suggested that FIBA reaffirmed its recognition of Kida as president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) despite the expiration of his second four-year term.
However, the global basketball body swiftly distanced itself from the claims, stating that it has not issued any communication regarding the tenure of the outgoing NBBF leadership.
Kida’s second term began on January 31, 2022, following his re-election at an elective congress held in Edo State. Under the NBBF constitution, that mandate expired on January 31, 2026.
Responding to an inquiry from a Nigerian basketball stakeholder, FIBA clarified that it had neither written to the federation nor received any formal correspondence from the NBBF concerning the leadership situation.
The only recent document in FIBA’s possession, according to the body, is a petition submitted by Nigerian basketball stakeholders requesting that the National Sports Commission of Nigeria and the NOC be authorised to supervise elections for a new NBBF board. FIBA said the petition is currently being examined by its legal department.
The position of FIBA was reinforced by NOC President Habu Gumel, who said the committee had neither received any letter from the global body nor written to it on the matter.
“As far as I know, in recent times, the NOC did not receive any letter from FIBA, neither did we write to FIBA,” Gumel told BSN Sports.
He revealed that the only official correspondence concerning the NBBF leadership was a letter the NOC sent to the National Sports Commission in 2025 informing the commission that the Kida-led board’s tenure would expire in January 2026 and stressing the need for fresh elections.
“We are not aware of any letter from FIBA as claimed in the reports. Some people have also reached out to ask whether we wrote or received any letter from FIBA. There is nothing like that,” Gumel added.
Efforts to obtain comments from Kida and other NBBF officials proved unsuccessful. Messages sent to the federation’s secretary, Mrs. Amina Amanchi, as well as Kida, Ogunade and board member Ugo Udezue were not returned, while calls to Kida went unanswered.
But Ogunade insisted he was unaware of any such communication from the international body backing an extension of the current board.
“I am not aware of any letter from FIBA,” Ogunade said.
The coordinated denials from FIBA, the NOC and a member of the outgone NBBF leadership have effectively punctured the narrative being pushed online, leaving the federation’s leadership future hanging on the conduct of fresh elections in line with its constitution.
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