Dikko rejects calls for NBBF board resignation

September 14, 2026 12:14 am

Muthmainah Ishola

Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has rejected calls for the Nigeria Basketball Federation board to resign following D’Tigress’ disappointing campaign at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany.

D’Tigress lost all three of their Group B matches and were eliminated in the first round, with their campaign ending in a 111–56 defeat to France.

The disappointing performance has triggered questions about the team’s preparation, administration and the future of the NBBF, with some stakeholders calling for the Musa Kida-led board, to step aside with just a few weeks to their election.

But Dikko has resisted that approach, arguing that leadership changes must follow due process and respect the rules of international sports governing bodies.

“We cannot just wake up and start disbanding boards,” Dikko said, stressing that Nigeria must take the position of FIBA, the world basketball governing body, into consideration.

“Whatever we do must be done in collaboration with FIBA.

“We cannot just wake up and start disbanding boards. While Nigerian law gives certain powers, we must also respect the international body because we want to continue participating in international competitions.”

Dikko also warned that any unilateral action could expose Nigeria to sanctions and potentially jeopardise the country’s participation in international basketball.

“If we dabble into the matter improperly and Nigeria gets banned from participating at the World Cup, what happens?” he asked.

The NSC chairman’s position is that the poor World Cup campaign should not automatically translate into the removal of the NBBF leadership, particularly with the federation already heading towards an elective transition.

FIBA has recognised the mandate of the current NBBF board until October 15, 2026, with a newly elected leadership expected to assume office on October 16.

Dikko’s position therefore leaves the election as the immediate and legitimate route to a change in leadership, rather than an NFF-style mass resignation.

D’Tigress’ World Cup collapse nevertheless represents a major reversal for a team that had established itself as Africa’s dominant women’s basketball side.

Nigeria won a record fifth consecutive Women’s AfroBasket title in 2025 and reached the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Expectations were therefore high going into the World Cup, making the winless campaign in Germany particularly disappointing.

The result has inevitably raised questions about whether the NBBF did enough in preparing the team and whether deeper administrative or technical problems contributed to the poor showing.

Dikko, however, maintains that the federation fulfilled its responsibilities in preparing the team and should not be subjected to an automatic leadership purge because of the tournament result.

The NSC has also confirmed that D’Tigress players and officials have received the naira equivalent of the $100,000 presidential reward promised after their 2025 AfroBasket triumph.

With the NBBF election now approaching, the focus is expected to shift from calls for resignation to the credibility of the electoral process and the composition of the next board.

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