By Dennis Agbo

The Nnaji Family Foundation has commissioned a twin International basketball courts at Agbani, Enugu state, with a pledged of immediate replication of same in the remaining states of the south east.

The foundation said that it’s target is to rivatalize basketball in Nigeria with an academy that will produce Nigeria basketball players of international repute.

Commissioning the basketball courts, Chairman of the Foundation, Apham Nnaji said that Nnaji Family Foundation was founded by Ezekiel (Zeke) Tobechukwu Nnaji, who is an NBA player for the Denver Nuggets in the Untied States. 

“Having visited Nigeria at a very young age, he has seen the glaring depravity young kids go through each day. Zeke and his family believe that atheletic and academic engagement is a powerful tool for molding children into productive members of our society. 

“We partnered with NBA Africa and the NBA Players Association to build the basketball facility. The first of five locations. There’s a technology lab which we will start working on next month; where kids will learn hands-on how to use equipment like 3D printers, design engineering software as well as a music studio.

“Organized basketball teaches kids life skills, sets life determination, perseverance, collaboration and learning how to handle failure.

Everything we do and provide for the families and their kids are all free. We hope that if anyone from any of the facilities make it to the US or becomes successful, they can give back to the community that nurtured their talents,” Apham said.

Communications Director of the Foundation, Ugochukwu Nnaji stated that in opening the basketball facility, the foundation was not just creating an avenue or a space for young people to learn the game of basketball, but was also creating a junior sports league; an inter secondary school sports league that is going to have a cash prize for the winning school. 

“We are going to have free books for the winning schools. We are going to get bags, we are going to get snickers. So, we are really going to revamp the game of basketball in Nigeria. Once we are able to set up inter school competitions and set up prizes running in millions for the winning schools, we now get the best players from those school competitions and see how we are going to get them to play internationally. 

“There are so many international basketball leagues looking for hardworking and talented young Nigerian boys and girls to join their league. So, that is really what the goal is all about. This is the first of many basketball courts in Nigeria. Our plan is to conquer the South East. So, in every South East State in Nigeria we will erect a basketball court as we have here. From there, we will go to all the states in Nigeria. Then we also go across Africa to make sure that most African children get access to quality basketball,” Ugochukwu said.

He noted that the foundation was partnering with NBA Players Association and NBA Africa so that the NBA will bring invaluable coaches and mentoring, scouts and also mentoring from international players. 

“There is also going to be a world of good done to the children. One thing about all of these is that they are all free. Nobody is paying anybody to be part of this. Right now it is a basketball academy. But it is a small part of a bigger picture. There is going to be a skills acquisition centre, we are going to have a laboratory, we are going to have a place where you can code and do computer programmes, learn about programmes and different things like that.”