Olumide Oyedeji Basketball Clinic marks 25th anniversary in Lagos
The Olumide Oyedeji Basketball Camp will celebrate its 25th anniversary when the silver jubilee edition of the grassroots development programme takes place from August 31 to September 5, 2026, at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
More than 500 young basketball players are expected to participate in the six-day camp organised by the Olumide Oyedeji Youth Foundation.
The programme is designed to combine basketball training with mentorship, education and talent development, providing young athletes with opportunities to develop both on and off the court.
The camp will be open to boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18, with about 25 coaches, trainers and instructors expected to supervise the participants. Daily activities will run from 9am to 3pm, with a refreshment break around midday.
Over the past 25 years, the camp has become one of Nigeria’s prominent grassroots basketball development programmes, producing more than 100 national team players and creating academic and sporting opportunities for hundreds of young athletes.
Notable male alumni include NBA player Charles Bassey, D’Tigers centre Efe Abogidi, Churchill Odia, Daniel Ochefu and Samuel Tobi Ariyibi.
Among the female graduates are D’Tigress star Nkechi Akashili, Uju Ugoka, former Olympian Rashidat Sadiq and former Nigerian Women’s League MVP Tokunbo Ijomah.
Beyond basketball development, the foundation has also used the camp as a scouting platform for its academic and sporting empowerment programmes. More than 300 scholarships have reportedly been awarded to talented participants over the years.
Outstanding performers and MVPs have earned opportunities to attend high schools and colleges in the United States and Europe. One notable beneficiary, Ikenna Alozie, secured a pathway to Dream City Christian School in Arizona.
Other participants have progressed to elite development programmes, including NBA Academy Africa, while the camp also provides career counselling, personal development sessions and motivational talks designed to prepare young athletes for life beyond basketball.
The initiative is the brainchild of its founder, Olumide Oyedeji, Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, former Nigerian international and one-time captain of D’Tigers.
Oyedeji enjoyed a distinguished professional career across the NBA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He was selected 42nd overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2000 NBA Draft and spent three seasons in the NBA with the SuperSonics and Orlando Magic.
As captain of D’Tigers from 2006 to 2016, Oyedeji was part of a generation that achieved significant milestones for Nigerian basketball, including the country’s first AfroBasket title in 2015 and its maiden Olympic appearance at the London 2012 Games.
His influence has extended beyond the basketball court into sports administration and Olympic affairs. He also became the first African to serve as Secretary-General of the World Olympians Association.
As the camp celebrates its 25th anniversary, organisers are expected to use the milestone to reaffirm their commitment to discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian basketball talent while promoting education, mentorship and youth empowerment through sport.
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