One thing men of clout have in common is their taciturnity. Most goal getters do their thing without blowing the rooftop with praise singing. No sector in Nigeria suffers the syndrome of ’empty drums making the loudest noise’ more than the sports sector. By sheer bad luck, Nigeria’s sports sector is inexplicably under the full control of what could be said to be worse than empty noise making drums. It’s for this I’m rolling out my drums to celebrate a silent achiever in Nigeria’s sports community. This is a celebration of an astute engineer and sportsman per-excellence, Ahmadu–Kida Musa.
Musa Kida as he is fondly called needs no introduction whenever the subject is ‘BASKETBALL’. With a large heart and passion for Basketball development, it’s highly probable that there’s no region in Nigeria that has not benefitted immensely from his support for Basketball development. He is a force to reckon with in the sports sector. Perhaps, this may explain why his name is always applauded when it is mentioned all across Nigeria.
Musa Kida is to the Basketball community what a benefactor is to his beneficiary and his attributes from what I have gather gathered hinges on probity, accountability, progress and CHANGE. These are common traits, dreams and ambitions he shares with all respected persons with similar traits. And he is just as taciturn. Where a lot of opportunists holding Basketball to ransom feeds noisily on the soul of the NBBF.
Musa Kida quietly infuses life and glamour into the sport in Nigeria. Just like any other sports federation, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) is also enmeshed in serious leadership deficiency. Matter of fact, it could be said to be the worse hit by the dangerous habit of hijacking sports federations by few people for selfish gains. It’sno longer story that, today, against the spirit of sports development, sports federations are mere watering holes for opportunistic people with a dangerous combination of cunning ability to manipulate administrative procedure to achieve leadership and a below average understanding of what sports is all about, much less how to chart a developmental trajectory that could put Nigeria on a respectable spot on global sports’ map. It’s not debatable that the avoidable encumbrances dealing the Basketball Federation a killer blow were deliberately designed to remove serious and enthusiastic people with real passion for Basketball development off the affairs of the federation for few unscrupulous elements who sees in the federation nothing but a cash cow. This is quite logical. How else could one explain the asphyxiating hold some people have on the federation while reputable people with the professional mindset, passionate zeal, corporate muscle and international exposure to position the Basketball federation on the path of development are left out in the cold in the affairs of the federation – denied of an appropriate window to offer their contribution.
No logic could accept locking out of certain individuals from an NBBF AGM and the sacking from the board
of the NBBF of people like Musa Kida, a contemporary and team mate of as big an international Basketball icon as Akeem Olajuwon, Col. Sam Ahmedu, a reputable Basketball supporter sitting and creating waves on the board of international bodies of Basketball, Babatunde Ogunade etc.
Agreed, creating waves in the sports sector is more of ‘sponsored noise making’ than incubating ideas and
putting them to test, but then, should we allow empty rhetorics and foxy manipulation of events and the media by parasitic people to rule over facts, logic and common sense?
To move the NBBF out of this conundrum requires only a passionate and wholistic look at the pedigree of its
major players. Whereas, those holding NBBF to the ground does so under false pretences that all is well with the game, it’s not debatable that the system of leadership is wholly sustained by the control of funds generated to sustain and develop the federation which appears to be used to water the pockets of well positioned junior members who are in their support. It wouldn’t require a rocket scientist’s brain to understand the reason(s) why, after being around for God knows how long, NBBF is yet to register constituent presence outside Lagos and Abuja, much less, out of Nigeria.
In sharp contrast, Musa Kida is a household name in the Basketball family. A Borno State indigene yet, unanimously voted Chairman of the Rivers State Basketball Association and currently sitting on the board of NBBF representing the SOUTH SOUTH ZONE. He is also the Secretary General of Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) Africa Zone 3. That’s enough to say who and what he is to the Basketball community. Musa Kida achieved this not by accident but by hard work and sincere commitment to the development of sports, particularly Basketball. He started sponsoring the Rivers State Basketball Championship from 2001 till date and the South-South Invitational Championship – Metro League between 2002 and 2003. No doubt, Kida is well equipped to fit into the new government policy to reposition sports by relying on talent and pedigree of acclaimed sports enthusiasts. He is a thoroughbred professional with the needed local and global tentacles to take NBBF to higher ground. On the issue of Basketball development, comparing Musa Kida’s contribution so far with anyone presently in the basketball circle is nothing short of comparing a Beetle with a Ferrari.
As a background, Ahmadu – Kida Musa is the Deputy Managing Director, Total Exploration & Production Limited Deep Water District based in Lagos. Considering the enormous goodwill at his disposal, no doubt
he’s an asset to any federation. Assuredly, he is the likely messiah that could halt the free-fall of Basketball in Nigeria by deploying his astuteness and versatility.
Fluent in English and French, Kida would make an excellent choice for the onerous task of repositioning NBBF
considering the near absolute dominance of Basketball politics by French speaking countries in Africa. His involvement with more than 20 basketball events in Nigeria through his AMK Foundation is another testimony to his impeccable quality as the man of the moment.
In his kitty were unmatched successes achieved quietly without the usual ‘notice me’ media blitz. He started sponsoring the Rivers State Basketball Championship from 2001 till date and the South-South Invitational Championship – Metro League between 2002 and 2003. He co-sponsored the Warriors Ilupeju Basketball Classics between 2003 till 2012, a staunch supporter of the Royal Hoopers Basketball Classics Port Harcourt in2006 and 2007 and the Royal Hoopers Elite Basketball Camp & Classics in 2008. He is the Patron and sponsor of the Ahmadu Bello University Alumni Basketball Association which started in 2002 till date, Board Member, Basketball for Peace since 2002 till date and sponsor of all events for Basketball for Peace across Nigeria since the late nineties.
His Foundation bankrolled the Uyo 3×3 Tour in August 2013 while he also provided educational, athletic scholarships/training grants and support to many youths from across Nigeria to foreign institutions/training Camps within the past decade. His love for grassroots development knows no bounds. Apart from bankrolling the South-South 3×3 Tour (U18 Boys & Girls and Senior Men and Women) from 2014 to 2016, he was also a supporter of another Youth Basketball Camp in collaboration with Isah Umar Foundation, Maiduguri from 2016 to date. He was financially involved in the 2016 South East Women Basketball Championship held in Enugu in
collaboration with Osita Nwachukwu (South-East Rep NBBF Board) and WEISSE before his foundation funded the 1st Nigerian University Games Association 3×3 Tour in 2017.
At the continental level, the AMK Foundation partnered with FIBA Africa Zone 3 Champions Cup Tournament held in Benin in 2015 and the 2016 edition of the tournament, in Togo in 2016, the Tournoi Salamatu Maiga, Cotonou, Benin, 2016 and the FIBA Africa Zone 3 3×3 Tour, Lagos, Nigeria, (Men & Women, and U18 Boys and Girls) in 2015.
Truly, Musa Kida is a blessing to Basketball. With the ongoing review and adjustment of the corrupt and self-serving electoral processes into the National Federation Boards as kick started by the Minister of Youth & Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung which, if observed with dedication could restore orderliness to sports administration, the time couldn’t be better for a paradigm shift in Nigerian basketball administration by encouraging people like Musa Kida to take full charge and infuse dignity and new ideas to sports administration. It is certainly time for a Musa Kida led NBBF.