Former Nigerian international and sports executive Udezue has thrown his weight behind Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi ahead of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) election scheduled for 15 October, framing the vote as a choice between talent and structure. Udezue, who played for Nigeria’s Under-18s and senior teams before becoming the first Nigerian certified as an NBA agent in the United States, said the country had never lacked players but needed an enterprise around them.
In a detailed pitch, Udezue pointed to the Basketball Africa League’s contribution of more than $250 million to host-country GDP and 37,000 jobs since 2021, with the NBA projecting $5.4 billion and over 650,000 jobs by 2034 as the league shifts to permanent investor-owned franchises from 2027. He argued that Nigeria, with more than 220 million people, holds a stronger hand than Kigali, Dakar, Rabat or Pretoria in attracting that capital.
Udezue called for mid-sized, multi-use arenas across the six geopolitical zones, a national digital database covering every player, coach, referee and club, and professional management of leagues and national teams as commercial properties. He said government funding alone could not sustain the growth of the sport and urged the federation to make Nigerian basketball investable.
On Abdullahi, he highlighted a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Manchester and current role as Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, alongside two years of personal acquaintance and the grassroots DAM Foundation Championship held each December in Okene. Udezue also called for former internationals to hold real authority over technical matters, national teams and youth development under the next administration, insisting the federation must unite rather than divide the basketball community.
