Northern Youth Union Backs Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi for NBBF Presidency Ahead of October 15 Congress

 

Timescope News 

The Northern Youth Union (NYU), the umbrella body of Northern Nigerian youth, has announced its endorsement of Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi for President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) ahead of the October 15, 2026 Elective Congress.

In a statement dated September 18, 2026, and signed by its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Comrade J.M. Abbah, Ph.D., FCNA, the group said the decision followed extensive consultations with youth stakeholders, the Students Sports Federation of Nigeria (SSFON), basketball players, grassroots coaches, and sports development advocates across the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the Union, Nigerian basketball is at a crossroads and needs a leader who has lived the game, built the game, and can manage it as an enterprise.

The NYU listed five reasons why Dr. Abdullahi stands out:

1. A True Basketball Man: Over two decades of direct involvement as a player for Kano State teams, NUGA, Division One and Premier Leagues, the U-18 National Team, and Trafford Basketball Club in Manchester, UK.

2. Proven Grassroots Investor: Through the Dr. Abdullahi Mustapha (DAM) Foundation, he has built a basketball court and sponsored tournaments in Kano State, runs a basketball academy with over 500 children, organizes the Annual DAM Foundation Basketball Championship in Okene, Kogi State every December, and supports players' welfare, scholarships, medical assistance, business grants, and employment facilitation, including support for the Great Vibes Basketball Foundation in Abuja.

3. Administrative Capacity: As Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Abdullahi has demonstrated executive-level strategic management and policy innovation needed to rebuild league structures, attract sustainable corporate sponsorship, and enforce accountability.

4. A Business Model for Basketball: Aligning with stakeholders like ex-NBA agent Ugo Udezue, the Union said Nigeria's problem is not talent but the failure to build a viable business structure around it. Dr. Abdullahi's vision treats basketball as an industry capable of generating jobs and attracting investment in line with the Basketball Africa League (BAL) model.

5. People-Centred Leadership: His track record of welfare interventions and facilitating employment opportunities in the federal civil service for members of the basketball family shows he values people above politics.

The Union said it believes that under Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, the NBBF will witness a new dawn with functional grassroots facilities in every zone, regular and commercially viable leagues, improved welfare for D'Tigers and D'Tigress, and genuine youth empowerment.

It called on all delegates, stakeholders, veterans, and lovers of Nigerian basketball to rally behind his candidacy for a united, prosperous, and globally competitive federation.