Chief Mike Itemuagbor, Chairman and CEO of Pamodzi, has called on Nigerian basketball stakeholders to remain united and peaceful as the company takes on the challenge of promoting the Federation and its activities.
Itemuagbor has spoken on the heels of the letter from the International Basketball Federation, FIBA, to the Nigerian basketball family last month, just as the Nigeria Basketball Federation announced Pamodzi as the official marketer of the NBBF activities.
Itemuagbor, who has been a key player in Nigerian and international sports marketing, says the FIBA intervention should be a guideline for lasting peace and unity.
He said, “I find so much peace and corporate guidance in proper governance in the FIBA letter, especially in this transition period for the basketball family in Nigeria. We do pray that everyone embraces that document so that things can get better for the basketball ecosystem in this country.”
He reiterated his earlier talk on how peace and positivity help to market products, just as he thanked the NBBF for allowing his company to run the marketing for the Federation. He underlined the fact that there can only be progress when there is peace and a common agenda of leaving a better ecosystem for the next generations.
“The NBBF has given us a challenge, and we just have to run with it. Pamodzi says thank you to the NBBF President Musa Kida and the basketball family for entrusting us with one of the biggest challenges in the world. We can only succeed in Nigerian basketball when everyone truly wants to see the game grow here.
“When good news is all over Nigerian basketball, it becomes very attractive to the corporate world.
“I plead with everyone to see the bigger picture and support this game. My company is only interested in the game and its growth here. The game is big enough for all if we choose to cooperate with one another. So, my concern is for us all to help clean up the image and make the system very attractive to sponsors.
“As I have said in the past, basketball is super fun and cash-yielding in the USA, and we can replicate such here.”
In March, the National Sports Commission also urged all stakeholders of Nigerian basketball to put the interest of the game first as the Nigeria Basketball Federation prepares for its elections later this year.
FIBA has called for organized electioneering under existing statutes and internal regulations, and the Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, pressed all stakeholders within the Nigerian basketball ecosystem to prioritize unity and the growth of the sport above personal interests.
He said, “This is a crucial moment for basketball in Nigeria. We must all put the game first. The future of our athletes, our national teams, and our global reputation depends on collective responsibility and adherence to due process.”
In its communication, FIBA noted that the tenure of the current NBBF Board will elapse on 15 October 2026, while elections into a new board must be conducted no earlier than 15 September 2026 and no later than 15 October 2026, following the conclusion of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup scheduled for September 2026.
