BY JUDE OPARA, ABUJA

THE Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) yesterday in Abuja said it has concluded arrangements for the signing of a sponsorship deal worth a staggering sum of $12 million dollars. The deal is to run for five years.

This is as the president of the federation; Tijjani Umar revealed that the main intention of his board is to truly develop the game of basketball to the extent that young Nigerians will begin to show the same level of interest they have in football for the sport.

Umar who spoke at the Annual General Meeting of the federation said contrary to the thinking in some quarters that his board was putting all these efforts so as to earn another term in office, their primary aim was to build a federation which every basketball stakeholder will be proud to associate with.

“Honestly speaking, I have said it severally that I am not interested in election, my board is not doing anything because of election.

Umar, NBBF President

When the election comes if we win fine, if we don’t whoever wins will continue from where we stopped and I personally will continue to support the federation in any way I can.

“I am happy that we have taken basket ball to a higher height and any true lover of the sport will attest to that fact. What matters for us is not whether we will return or not; we are happy that today Nigerian youths are embracing basketball more than they did in years past. For instance, the $12 million dollar sponsorship deal is largely for our league.  Now there will be a lot of bonuses and incentives that will encourage these players to redouble their efforts and in the long run, the country will be the better for it.”

Earlier, the marketing consultant of the NBBF, Kunle Raji said the $12 million dollar deal with an organization he refused to disclose will lead to the ‘game changer league’ which has never been experienced before in the history of basketball in the country. While extolling the efforts of the NBBF to develop the game, Raji recalled that under the present administration, the nation’s senior men’s team, D’Tigers have appeared in the last two Olympic Games in London in 2012 and Brazil in 2016.

He however charged both the NBBF and the players to be ready to redouble their efforts when the new season begins so as to ensure that the sponsors get the value for the money they are investing both in cash and kind.

In his remarks, the president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Engr. Habu Gumel tasked the NBBF to ensure that they harmonized their Constitution insisting such was the only way they can qualify to be affiliated to both the NOC and other international sporting bodies.