Someone in the National Sports Commission has built a reputation as a reformer with glowing press releases about the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy. But behind the polished image lies a trail of unanswered questions, unpaid athletes, and what his own boss now calls ‘election gimmicks with ulterior motives.’
Dikko Breaks Silence on Arise TV.

In a revealing interview on Arise TV on March 5, 2026, NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko addressed the Nigeria Basketball Federation leadership crisis with unusual candour. Dikko confirmed that FIBA, the world basketball governing body, has been clear on the matter: Engineer Ahmadu Musa Kida’s tenure as NBBF President commenced on the date of his official swearing-in by the Federal Ministry in October 2022, not the date of his election in January 2022.

This means, Dikko explained, the NBBF board’s tenure will elapse in October 2026 not January 2026 as claimed by a group of ‘Concerned Members’ who convened a press conference in Abuja on February 24, 2026.

But it was Dikko’s next statement that raised eyebrows. The NSC Chairman warned that people should stop setting up press conferences with NBBF members who have ‘ulterior motives’ and are attempting to ‘push their clients.’ He urged all parties to wait and properly organise themselves for a free and fair election in October 2026.

The implication was unmistakable: some individuals have been working behind the scenes to destabilise the Kida-led NBBF board perhaps with an eye toward installing a more amenable leadership.

Who Are the ‘Concerned Members’?

The February 24 press conference featured seven individuals who served alongside Kida from 2022 to 2026. Now, they claim the board they served on has acted unconstitutionally.

They alleged that no Congress was convened during the board’s tenure, that quarterly board meetings were not consistently held, and that financial management was opaque. Yet, as a Daily Trust columnist pointedly observed, these ‘Concerned Members’ are ‘as guilty as Kida.’ They were board members throughout the period they now criticise.

They attended meetings or failed to demand them. They oversaw finances or failed to demand accountability. Their sudden conversion to constitutional purists on the eve of elections invites scepticism.

If there is someone who has indeed been coordinating with this group to manufacture a constitutional crisis, it would represent a serious breach of his responsibilities as a neutral administrator. The NSC is supposed to oversee federations impartially, not pick winners in factional disputes.

The big Question: Conflict of Interest?
Perhaps the most troubling allegation against the person concerns his relationship with a company that he founded and led as Managing Director before his appointment as NSC DG.

Critics allege that the individual failed to fully divest from the company upon assuming public office.

Gara Gombe has pointed to a photograph showing that individual with Enugu State officials at an event where the state allegedly handed over marketing and promotion of the upcoming National Sports Festival to company. ‘Is he still the MD of the company or the DG of the National Sports Commission?’ Gombe asked. The question remains unanswered.

This represents a fundamental breach of civil service rules and public trust. A government official cannot simultaneously oversee a sector and profit from contracts within it.

Athletes Left Waiting: Two to Five Years for Prize Money

While the individual collects awards for sports administration, athletes who competed in marathons organised by the company claim they have waited years for their prize money. The allegations are specific and damning:

Winners of the 10km Abeokuta Marathon organised by the company have not been paid. Winners of the Abuja Half Marathon (21km), sponsored by Premium Trust Bank are yet to collect their prizes. The Abuja International Marathon (42km), which featured Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes, also has unpaid winners. The Heritage Half Marathon organised between 2021 and 2022 likewise left athletes waiting.

The excuse allegedly given? That organisers are ‘waiting for doping results.’ As Gara Gombe noted: ‘Doping results for three, four years? Athletes win Olympic gold medals and test results come in weeks, not years.’ International athletes have reportedly described Nigeria and its organisers as ‘unreliable’ and a ‘419 country’ a devastating reputational blow.

Reporting Critics to DSS: The Cybercrime Threat

When journalists reported on alleged power struggles, the response was revealing. Rather than address the substance of the allegations, an induced announced that he had ‘reported officially under Section 19 of the Cybercrime Act to the DSS.’

He dismissed the reporting as ‘stupid news’ and demanded to know ‘how can a journalist just wake up and write such news?’ The response drew immediate criticism from journalists and media professionals who accused that individual of attempting to intimidate the press rather than answer legitimate questions about governance.

As one social media user observed: For an individual working in a government parastatal, he should know how to choose his words. It is appalling that he would insult the media, which helped build his reputation.’ Another noted: ‘Every journalist in Nigerian sports circles knows about their rift. Denying it publicly only raises more questions.’

The World Cup Failure

Under a joint leadership, Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive time. This, despite an expanded 48-team format that gave Africa nine automatic slots. Cape Verde, competing in their first World Cup, secured a ticket. Nigeria did not.

One of the responses to the failure was to apologise and insist ‘the tools were provided.’ But tools alone do not build houses. Leadership, coordination, and accountability do. The Super Eagles’ strike over unpaid allowances just days before the crucial playoff against DR Congo exposed the very dysfunction the NSC was supposed to address.

Twelve Foreign Trips, Zero Deals?
Gara Gombe has alleged that since their appointments, some key individuals ‘travelled abroad 12 times as spectators, without signing a single sports-related deal in line with the President’s sports economy agenda.’

The charge of ‘globetrotting’ while Nigerian sports languishes may be overstated; international engagement is part of the job. But the question of what tangible benefits these trips have delivered remains fair game.