The National Sports Commission (NSC) has struck gold on the home front, restoring calm to Nigerian Judo after months of turbulence and extending its peace drive to the long-troubled Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
At a reconciliation meeting brokered by the Director General of the NSC, Honourable Bukola Olopade, stakeholders in the Nigeria Judo Federation unanimously endorsed Dr. Musa Oshodi as President and Segun Gbayi as Technical Director, bringing a decisive end to the leadership crisis that had stalled progress in the sport.
The peace pact also produced a key technical appointment, with Amos Iliya named Chairman of the Federation’s Technical Committee, sealing a broad-based consensus within the Judo family to move forward as one.
Olopade, who has made stakeholder harmony a cornerstone of his tenure alongside NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko, described the resolution as a turning point for Nigerian Judo.
“A sport can only achieve little if it is trapped in internal crisis,” Olopade said. “This is why we have consistently preached peace and reconciliation among stakeholders who truly love their sports. Judo has the potential to win medals for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games and even the Olympics but only with a crisis-free federation.”
Fresh from settling the Judo dispute, the NSC boss had also successfully intervened in the lingering crisis within the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), guiding feuding interests toward reconciliation and restoring administrative stability to one of the country’s most visible sports.
The twin resolutions underline a clear message from the Commission, infighting will no longer be allowed to derail Nigeria’s sporting ambitions.
A visibly relieved Engineer Musa Oshodi, President of the Nigeria Judo Federation, praised Olopade’s leadership and pledged inclusive governance.
“We are grateful to the DG for the fatherly role he played in restoring peace,” Oshodi said. “My board will work with all stakeholders, carrying everyone along with respect and dignity. Our goal is simple—to develop Judo and make Nigeria proud.”
With Judo unified and Basketball back on a steady path, the NSC’s peace-first approach is beginning to pay dividends, setting the stage for renewed focus on performance, medals, and national pride.