TheCable

Musa Kida and Sam Ahmedu have been appointed into the finance and legal commission of International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Kida, Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) president and Ahmedu, a board member, who have steered the affairs of basketball in Nigeria since 2017 will serve on the commission for four years.

While breaking the news to the board, Kida said the latest appointment is a call to service towards development of basketball on the global stage.

“I wish to thank all my board members for their support since we assumed office in 2017. Without their support, all the successes achieved would not have been possible,” he said.

“The latest appointment is a recognition of what we have achieved as a board.

“FIBA has continued to evolve and introduce more international competitions which means more money will be needed.

“I hope I can use my contacts to financially help FIBA which will, directly and indirectly, benefit Nigeria as one of the affiliated national federations.”

According to Ahmedu, being in the commission would afford him the opportunity to contribute to the legal aspect of the game in an era where there is conflict between FIBA laws and that of national federations.

The legal luminary who served in the Nigerian army said: “apart from conflict resolutions, the issue of eligibility of players would be one of his focal points to enable African teams to secure the services of their players born outside the continent”.

Ahmedu who is a central board member of FIBA Africa is also the president of FIBA Africa zone 3 comprising of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia and Niger Republic.

Echoing the same sentiment, Babs Ogunade, NBBF vice president said the appointments are a validation of the good works being put into basketball development in Nigeria and the continued rise of Nigerian basketball on the global stage.

“For FIBA to have deemed Kida and Col. Ahmedu worthy of their membership of these important commissions, I think it’s a welcome development which must be celebrated by all Nigerians.”

Ogunade enjoined all basketball stakeholders in Nigeria to come on board the moving train being piloted by Kida to accelerate the development of the game.