Nigeria’s National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko has rejected calls for the Kida-led Nigeria Basketball Federation board to resign following D’Tigress’ winless campaign at the Women’s World Cup in Germany, arguing that the forthcoming election is the established route for a change in leadership.
D’Tigress entered the tournament as the dominant force in African women’s basketball after winning a record fifth consecutive Women’s AfroBasket title in 2025 and reaching the Paris 2024 Olympic quarter-finals. Instead, Nigeria went winless in the group stage, with a 55-point defeat by France providing a particularly painful conclusion.
Some stakeholders have argued that such a dramatic decline requires accountability at the highest level and called on the board to step aside, despite the election being only weeks away. Dikko maintains that a disappointing tournament result should not automatically lead to the removal of an elected federation board, and that any decision must take account of Nigeria’s obligations to FIBA.
Amid the controversy, the NSC confirmed that players and officials have received the naira equivalent of the $100,000 presidential reward promised after the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket triumph.
With the board’s tenure running until October 15 and a new administration due the following day, Dikko’s intervention makes clear that any change must come through the electoral process and within the framework recognised by FIBA.
