Nigeria Content Online

After
having a successful campaign in its debut camp programme in Ogun State
last year, the ‘Hope 4 Girls’ Basket Foundation programme has invited
55 girls in and around Nigeria to take part in the second camping
exercise in Lagos.

A brain child of
former Nigerian basketball player, Mobolaji Akiode, ‘Hope 4 Girls’ is
dedicated to the increased participation and empowerment of
disadvantaged young African women in sports and education.

Because of the
initiative and the desire to help the coming generation of women,
Akiode quit her accounting job at American Cable sports company, ESPN
and returned to Nigeria to set up the basketball camp to help young
girls in the country. She had been a member of the 2004 Nigerian
Olympic basketball team.

The dream

She currently
dedicates herself to empowering girls in Africa by lifting them out of
poverty through sports. The girls in her camps travel from all over the
country to learn not only basketball skills, but life skills as well.

“Our target group
is young African women particularly Nigerians between the ages of 12 to
19 years. We aim to provide opportunities for these young women to
display and develop character, intellect, and athletic ability through
‘Hope 4 Girls’ sports camps, learning workshops, and other empowerment
programs” Akiode said.

Unlike the first
edition made solely of Nigerian girls , this year’s edition will have
seven girls from neighbouring West African countries in attendance
which to Akiode is a testimony to the success of the programmes thus
far.

“Girls from Benin
Republic, Togo and Guinea Bissau and other countries were begging to be
a part of this season’s programme, though some don’t even speak
English, we just had to admit a few girls amongst them” she said.
Interestingly also, some NBA Stars are expected to come in to help the
girls learn some rudiments of the game.

Guest collaborators

The girls will have
the opportunity of learning from NBA stars like Hassem Tabeet; from
Tanzania who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. He will be joined by the
new Nigerian sensation; Solomon Alabi of the Toronto Raptors, and
Massai Ujiri; all part of the NBA basketball without borders team
heading for Senegal.

Explaining her
reason for deciding to help out the girls on the court, Akiode said
that her exposure during her playing career lead her to the present
choice of assignment.

“I want to see more
girls pursuing an education. I want girls to believe in themselves. I
want them to be inspired to be great. We want to use the platform of
sports to help these young girls find their way out of their undesired
situations and grow to be inspiring women. That’s our goal for not only
the girls of Nigeria but girls all over” she said.

According to Akiode
some of the players who participated at the last edition of the
programme have already been offered scholarships in some colleges in
the United State while she is also hoping that more will be selected to
pursue not only a career in basketball but also in academics. The
clinic will run in Lagos from Wednesday, July 28- August 1, 2010.