A member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation and the CEO of AFA Sports, Ugo Udezue, lamented the chaos surrounding basketball administration in Nigeria, stating that the game will develop greatly in the country if stakeholders unite and conduct themselves professionally, rather than encouraging negativity to gain power.
He shared his mind in Lagos on Monday.
“Let us speak plainly, because the future of Nigerian basketball demands courage, not comfort. Everywhere basketball has truly flourished, development has been driven by private enterprise — not federations, not politics, and certainly not ego. USA Basketball does not own the NBA; any federation does not own the NCAA. AAU basketball does not answer to administrators seeking relevance.
“Federations only regulate while private enterprise builds. This is a global truth we must stop pretending not to understand. What Nigerian basketball is experiencing today is not a healthy debate — it is desperation masquerading as reform.”
The former D’Tigers power forward stated that those who truly love the game in Nigeria and are honest about its development should join hands to build it, rather than seeking every opportunity to cause failure within the system.
“We now live in a moment so distorted that a serving member of the federation’s own board reportedly went as far as attempting to engineer the defeat of the Nigerian women’s national team, D’Tigress, at the recent AfroBasket. A custodian of the game allegedly aligned against his own country — engaging the entire Nigerian former coaching crew, including a close family member, in an attempt to stop Nigeria from winning. This is self-serving over the country. D’Tigress rose above politics, rose above betrayal, and once again proved why they are champions. Basketball will always expose the difference between builders and saboteurs.
“Unity without integrity is a fraud. You cannot preach unity while actively working against the national team. You cannot call for progress while sponsoring parallel elections.”
The AFA sports boss explained that his support for Musa Kida as the NBBF President and the board is in defense of the constitution and orderliness.
“I say this clearly and without apology: I stand firmly and unequivocally with the current President of the Nigerian Basketball Federation, Engineer Musa Kida, and the duly elected board because in moments like this, institutions must be defended. The Constitution is clear, and it will be respected. The board was inaugurated on October 6, 2022. Elections are due on October 6, 2026. Anything else is constitutional vandalism.
“If ambition is allowed to override law, then no administration — present or future — will ever govern in peace again. And once stability is lost, investors leave, sponsors disappear, and the game collapses under its own chaos.
He pointed the way forward.
“As stakeholders, we owe Nigerian basketball more than noise — we owe it assets such as arenas, academies, and Operational excellence.
“This is why I have consistently championed sustainable private enterprise and equity participation in basketball. Ownership models that attract serious investors. Systems that allow value creation over time.
“I have seen it done properly — by firms like Webber Engineering, by professionals who understand that real development is not loud, it is competent. Even in organization, presentation, and graphics, excellence signals seriousness. That seriousness attracts sponsors. That attracts capital. Basketball does not grow where chaos lives.
Sustainable Basketball
“Sustainable basketball ecosystems are built on: Private capital and Long-term equity; Professional leagues and Serious infrastructure. They are not built by naming leagues after yourself. They are not built by creating teams as personal monuments. They are not built by short-term projects designed for applause or political positioning. That approach is not development. It is personal promotion disguised as reform — political banditry wearing a basketball jersey.
If your project cannot survive without your name on it, then it was never about the game.”
Ugo, who ran the highly acclaimed Continental Basketball League (originally African Basketball League, ABL) before the coming of the Basketball Africa League on a similar model, laments the lack of infrastructure in the Nigerian and African ecosystem.
He said, “Africa is not behind because of talent — it’s behind because of infrastructure. Africa is not short of talent; we are short of infrastructure. No ecosystem thrives without arenas, training facilities, Residential academies, sports science, and commercial competition platforms. Talent without infrastructure is exploitation. This is why my focus has remained on building, not posturing.”
This is the Line
Ugo believes there is a great opportunity to do something great with Nigerian basketball now more than ever.
“Nigerian basketball stands at a defining moment. We can choose:
•Ego over ecosystem
•Chaos over capital
•Self over country
Or we can choose:
•Institutions
•Private enterprise
•Infrastructure
•Long-term value
“As for me, I have chosen stability; I have chosen private enterprise, and I choose constitutional order. History will remember who built and who tried to destroy the house they claimed to love.”
