NBBF presidency: Northern youths endorse ECN DG

Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi

Following the official declaration of the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi to vie for the position of President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, some basketball players and lovers of the game in Northern Nigeria have declared support for his ambition.

The basketball players and lovers who are members of a group under the aegis of ‘Northern Youth Union’ endorsed his candidature ahead of the October 15, 2026 Elective Congress of the NBBF.

Our Correspondent gathered that during Abdullahi’s recent declaration for the NBBF top position, he had pledged to prioritise grassroots development, talent discovery, infrastructure and players’ welfare if elected.

The Northern Youth Union, in a statement made available to Journalists in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital on Sunday, by its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Dr. J.M. Abbah, noted that the decision to endorse Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi followed extensive consultations with youth stakeholders across the 19 Northern States and the FCT.

Speaking about the ECN Director General, Abbah said, “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.

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“Also, 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, organises 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.

“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.”

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, noting that Dr. Abdullahi’s vision treats basketball as an industry capable of generating jobs and attracting investment in line with the Basketball Africa League.

According to the group, the Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria’s 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.