A former Nigerian basketball player identified as Hassan has urged voters in the upcoming Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) election to back fresh leadership rather than recycle familiar names, arguing that the federation needs new ideas to break cycles of factionalism and inherited loyalties.
Speaking ahead of the 2026 vote, Hassan said experience in sports administration should not be measured solely by familiarity with federation politics. He noted that modern sports management requires expertise in business development, governance, technology, sponsorship, communication and stakeholder engagement.
"Being new to a federation structure does not mean being inexperienced in leadership, management, business, institution-building or stakeholder engagement," he said.
He also warned against using unverified allegations during the campaign, insisting that claims must go through proper investigation and due process. "A media report is not a conviction. An allegation is not a finding. An investigation is not proof of guilt," Hassan said.
Hassan called on candidates to outline how they would build a commercially sustainable domestic league, develop grassroots basketball, attract sponsorship and prevent factional disputes. He pointed to the achievements of D'Tigress, Nigeria's women's national team, as evidence of the country's basketball potential.
