With President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate for robust grassroots sports development, the National Sports Commission (NSC) remains committed to fostering domestic growth across various sports while ensuring that federations operate in a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for success.
This was the stance of NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, as he commended Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, for securing qualification for the 2025 Afrobasket tournament set to take place in Angola.
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While congratulating the team on their achievement and reaffirming the government’s support for their campaign in Angola, Mallam Dikko emphasized the importance of integrating more home-based players into future tournaments to enhance the country’s basketball development.
“I examined the final 12-man roster and noticed that only two players were home-based. Our goal is to increase domestic representation in the national team,” he stated.
“Experts often say that the strength of a national team reflects the quality of its domestic league. This principle applies across all team sports, including basketball. True growth in the sport will be measured by how many players from the local league can compete at the national level, rather than relying predominantly on those who have already built their careers abroad.”
Dikko reaffirmed the NSC’s commitment to strengthening domestic tournaments across all sports, highlighting that this aligns with the President’s vision. He assured that the NSC will collaborate closely with the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to fortify the domestic league.
To achieve sustainable growth in basketball, the NSC Chairman stressed the need to resolve existing challenges within the sport.
“We will work alongside the NBBF to address any underlying issues and ensure unity among all stakeholders so that we can collectively drive the sport forward,” he added.
Furthermore, Mallam Dikko pledged full government backing for D’Tigers in their quest for success at the 2025 Afrobasket. He also assured that any outstanding concerns affecting the team would be swiftly addressed, allowing players to focus solely on their preparations.
“Our last Afrobasket victory was in 2015. Given our ambition to maintain a strong podium presence, targeting another championship in Angola is a realistic goal. The NSC, alongside my Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade and the entire team, is fully committed to supporting D’Tigers in this mission,” he concluded.
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