The future of Nigerian basketball

In the past, in Lagos, Nigeria, where I reside, specifically in Oworonshoki's courts and various other suburbs, a common sight was a rusty basketball hoop with a tattered net dangling from a broken blackboard. The crevices accommodated stubborn weeds; the faded court lines were barely visible, stretched thin and blurry on a cracked and worn-out surface.

Yet, the lousy sight never deterred the vibrant, talented, and determined youths who frequented the court. Making use of whatever the facility provides to make the Sport alive. It is common among the determined players of the sports and in the suburbs and slums of Lagos where the facility isn't available that they trek from different distances to the buzzing Ilupeju basketball courts to continue their interest in the dreams of etching their names in gold to the world spectacles.

Knowing the facility at the grassroots level was terrible, the basketball court was an eyesore yet it had people playing in it all just because their love for the game superseded their love for Aesthetics.

The Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), upon knowing that the facility at the grassroots level was terrible,  partnered  with Giants of Africa, in resurrecting the facility, by turning it from a mosaic of memories into a world-class court—Red Bull partners with the same agency to build courts within Ikeja to accommodate many grassroots-level competitions. These actions ignited the spark of the people of Oworonshoki.

The Giants of Africa has also preached the gospel of the development of Basketball Courts to ensure active participation by creating infrastructure in  Secondary schools in Lagos like Egan Senior Grammar School, Igando, Ejigbo Mini Stadium, Ejigbo, Gaskiya College, Ijora Badiya, Abesan Mini Stadium, Abesan Estate, Ipaja; the Alumni of ISL (International School of Lagos)  has renovated her School courts into a world-class Standard basketball court. 

One would think that with the grit mentioned earlier, development, determination, and even her over 200 million population, Nigeria should potentially sit loftily in the ranks of giants in the basketball industry. However, we are not a giant but an ailing giant that rests on many predicaments that hinder growth, like an inferior complex stemming from these characterized significant linking factors: Incompetence, owing of salaries, lack of funding, neglect, and skill drain. 

    When you ask an average basketball player in Nigeria what their dream career is, first, just like many in the world, is to be drafted and to play in the acclaimed (W)NBA in the US. The second is to move to the Euro league for greener pastures, and finally, at the bottom of the pecking order is the patriotic desire to represent the National team, which signals fire in the house with people staring at it burning down. All these are also a result of the poor retention of talent by the NBBF and the permeation of a wider pool of foreign agencies, leading to a skill drain. 

The desire to play in leagues abroad over representing Nigeria should ask why and what our basketball federation's nature is. The woes of the basketball scene are too numerous to mention that if it is mentioned, hope itself personified will set itself ablaze at the sight of it. 

One of the scenarios that rocked my hope as an avid viewer of the game was when the former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, once imposed a two-year ban (on the basketball team which lasted for a short period owing to irregularities like the leadership tussle for the head of NBBF which led to the crisis, corruption, and the paralysis of the local league in which the former sports minister claimed it was a move to revamp the sport internally. Since then, there has been no significant change.

Another bleak moment in the future of basketball was when the D’Tigers(the Nigerian basketball team) decided to opt out of representing the Nigerian basketball team at the 2025 Afrobeat competition owing to a lack of funds. To further worsen the woes, international members of the thriving female basketball team, D’Tigress, a year ago, threatened the Nigerian Government of not representing the country again for the government actions of withdrawing their presence at the FIBA World Cup in Sydney, Australia owing to the same irregularities that affect the NBBF.

 Accompanied by the rot of corruption that has eaten deep in every Sports parastatal and lack of good leadership. There is expected to be a disconnect between Nigerian Loyalty and the country. Effectively, it leads to the struggle of getting star-studded Nigerian Descent to play for the Country: an excellent example is Antetokoumpo of Milwaukee Bucks, who plays for Greece. To prevent this, the Tinubu-led administration has to make effective policies to revamp the basketball program. At the same time, we have NUGA, Red Bull, and the Giants of Africa organizing grassroots games, and they should be encouraged more. The government should partner with them more to effectively promote and manage more training and competition. Yet, they might face a fierce challenge against foreign competitors in talent retention, which can be minimized by making it more incentivized. 

Dear reader, despite the blemishes attached at the National level,  the future of basketball in Nigeria still heralds itself as a force to reckon with. The Tiger is the only team in Africa to beat the USA, and Tigress is the first African team to win the FIBA Afro competition four times in a row. It is also the first to have a female coach clinching the FIBA Afro competition gold medal and have their presence in the Quarter Final at the FIBA World Cup level. 

While these records are mentioned, it is noteworthy that this is a sign of hope, and there is still a better chance for us to Swoop many titles and create a new dominant era in the Scene. This can be achieved by a collective effort by our government to establish saner climes by settling the leadership tussles in the NBBF, funding the team and the domestic leagues, and implementing the right policies. If all this is achieved, then the future of basketball in Nigeria will be brighter than the gold we aim for.