25 Years, 500+ Participants And Over 100 National Team Players: Oyedeji Camp’s Legacy Continues

25 Years, 500+ Participants And Over 100 National Team Players: Oyedeji Camp’s Legacy Continues

By BSN Sports 

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, BSNSports.com.ng reports. 

More than 500 young basketball players are expected to participate in the six-day camp organised by the Olumide Oyedeji Youth Foundation, which is designed to combine basketball training with mentorship, education and talent development.

The camp will cater to boys and girls aged between 8 and 18, with about 25 coaches, trainers and instructors scheduled to oversee the participants. Daily activities will run from 9am to 3pm, with a refreshment break around midday.

Over the past 25 years, the camp has established itself as one of Nigeria's leading grassroots basketball development platforms, producing more than 100 national team players and creating academic and sporting opportunities for hundreds of young athletes.

Its 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 used the camp as a major scouting platform for its academic and sporting empowerment initiatives. More than 300 scholarships have reportedly been awarded to talented participants over the years.

Outstanding performers and Most Valuable Players have secured opportunities to attend high schools and colleges in the United States and Europe. One of the programme's notable beneficiaries, Ikenna Alozie, earned a pathway to Dream City Christian School in Arizona.

Other standout players have progressed to elite development programmes, including the NBA Academy Africa, while participants are also exposed to career counselling, personal development sessions and motivational talks aimed at preparing them for life beyond basketball.

The initiative is the product of the vision of its founder, Olumide Oyedeji, a Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, former Nigerian international and one-time captain of D'Tigers.

Oyedeji enjoyed a distinguished professional career in the NBA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He was selected 42nd overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2000 NBA Draft and went on to spend three seasons in the NBA, representing the SuperSonics and Orlando Magic.

As captain of D'Tigers from 2006 to 2016, Oyedeji was part of a generation that delivered 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 court into sports administration and Olympic affairs. He also became the first African to serve as Secretary-General of the World Olympians Association.

With the camp reaching its 25th edition, the organisers are expected to use the milestone to reinforce its commitment to discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian basketball talent while promoting education, mentorship and youth empowerment through sport.