NBBF Makes U-Turn Over Withdrawal Of D’Tigers From 2025 AfroBasket

The Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) has announced that the federation is making last-minute attempts to ensure that the country’s basketball national team, the D’Tigers, plays this weekend.

Initially, the NBBF announced that the federation had withdrawn the national team from participating in the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers window due to a lack of funds.

The window will commence on Friday, February 23, and end on February 25, in Tunisia and Egypt. Tunisia will host Group B and E, while Egypt will host Group D.

D’Tigers were supposed to play in Group B alongside Cape Verde, Uganda, and Libya, who shocked Morocco in Game 2 of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Zone 1 Pre-Qualifiers on Tuesday in Monastir, Tunisia.

But on Wednesday, the NBBF issued a statement that reads: “In recent times, the female and male national basketball teams have not had the best in preparations for major continental and global championships, due to the perennial lack of funds. However, the financial burdens of ensuring national teams participate in these tournaments have been personally taken up by the President of NBBF, Engr. Musa Kida.

“While Kida, who is yet to be refunded the billions of naira he has spent, the participation of the various national teams is unable to raise more funds for the latest national assignment, the ministry of sports has not been able to come up with needed funds, citing lack of adequate funds to prosecute several other national engagements, including the forthcoming African Games holding in Accra, Ghana in March.

“The board of NBBF appeals to the ever-growing fans and lovers of the game in Nigeria and diaspora to understand the dire situation it found itself given the economic challenges faced by the country, even as it promised to redouble its efforts and commitments to the continued growth of the game in Nigeria.”

In contrast to the above statement, the NBBF gave an update via its official X page that “the federation is aiming to finalize a roster and gather funds in time to play in afro basket qualifiers”.