Nigerian officials deny Ujiri claims of ‘robbing youth’ of basketball

Ujiri claimed that Nigeria is stuck in a damaging cycle, failing to invest properly to allow its sides to perform on the international stage.

Players from D’Tigress, the women’s national side, have been locked in a dispute with the NBBF and sports ministry over the non-payment of bonuses and organisational issues encountered during the Olympics Games in Japan.

The issue also affected the salary of head coach Otis Hughley.

“Nigeria has traditionally treated sports as purely recreational, not for what it is – a serious business and a tool for nation-building and economic transformation,” Ujiri, 51, said.

“But we all know the drill; a tournament is coming, we hear there is no money, people scramble to put money together. Tournament commences and athletes are treated carelessly. Tournament ends, athletes are angry, government releases money at a later date.

“No accountability or transparency on how much was released and how it was spent. And the truth is that we’re not just speaking about basketball here.

“The time for change is now. I know all athletes, leaders and stakeholders in African sport will not give up on Nigerian basketball, and we will not give up on the youth.”

However, Ibitoye, the special advisor to Dare, argued the Ministry of Sports was taking a holistic approach to improve the standard of basketball in the country.

“We have to be nationalistic in our thinking, of the game in Nigeria as a whole,” he said.

“It may be doing well in international competitions, but you ask yourself, at what cost?

“It is important for us to focus on the development of the game at home, create an environment that will make it to thrive so that your child and my child in Nigeria can aspire to the top.

“The quality of players abroad and the quality of players we raise in Nigeria will almost be at par when we create that kind of environment. That’s the nationalistic thinking we have to put up.”