jamal 
BY ANIEROBI ABUCHI ANDREW
Arrangements are in place for the 21st edition of the Olumide Oyedeji Basketball Camp which holds at the Indoor Sports Hall National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.
The event will hold from Monday, 29th of August to Saturday, 3rd of September from 9 am to 4 pm daily.
The camp is open to kids from 4 years to 17 years with scholarships on offer for outstanding talents at the end of the weeklong camping exercise. Though, a basketball camp, resource persons will also be around to talk to campers about career choices and equip them with life skills.
According to Olumide Oyedeji- founder of the initiative that has produced stars such as former Nigerian internationals, Rasidat Sadiq, Deji Akindele, and Michael Eric, the opportunity is open to kids from across Nigeria.
“We are excited to have another unique opportunity to impact kids through the camp after a covid-19 induced break. The importance of this camp cannot be over-emphasized. We are glad about what we have achieved and the quality of talents that have passed through us”, Oyedeji said.
“The camp is not just about basketball. We also invite resource persons to talk to the kids about life and career choices in case basketball does not work out. Some have gone to represent Nigeria such as Churchill Odia (member of the senior national team to the FIBA Africa Championship in 2007)”.
“Other rising talents include Charles Bassey currently with Philadelphia Sixers, Efemena Abogidi who recently got signed by G- League, Samuel Ariyibi (NBA Academy alumni), and Reuben Chinyelu in the NBA Academy”.
Oyedeji highlighted Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau- dancer, choreographer, and entertainer known to many as Kaffy, Sodiq Abubakar Yusuf (CDQ), and Olanrewaju Ogunmefun (Vector) as some of the kids that passed through the camp.
As of the last count, over 40,000 kids from all over the world have participated in the camp. Since its inception, various cities across Nigeria such as Ibadan, Osogbo, Jos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Ado Ekiti, Abeokuta, and Lagos have played host to the camp, and over 75 kids receiving scholarships from the Olumide Oyedeji Foundation.
