NBA, PFI, ExxonMobil Train School Students on Basketball‎ Skills





As part of effort to popularise the game of basketball in the country, the Power Forward Initiative (PFI), ExxonMobil, Africare and the National Basketball Association (NBA), have expressed their commitment to continue to train and guide secondary school students on basketball skills.

The Founder of PFI and a retired American basketball player, Jerome Williams, gave the assurance at the 4th Power Forward Final, Health and Fitness Initiative for Youth Development held at National Stadium, Abuja

Williams, nicknamed ‘Junk yard dog’ during his playing days said the programme was aimed at imparting leadership and lifestyle skills on the students as part of tools for community development. 


He added that they are keen to grow the game of basketball in Nigeria and throughout Africa to empower the students.



 Williams said: “The message to these kids is that they should strive to their best in life. This programme is more than just basketball, basketball is the tool you use for education, for life skills, for development, disease prevention like HIV/AIDS, malaria.

These things are all brought together throughout the game of basketball and what happens is that the skills are taken back to the community and their homes and they teach their parents and kids in the community and that is how basketball can grow and this is a game that creates peace. 

”The game of basketball is about rules and those rules are transferred in life. The kids are also being conditioned to be able to apply that same knowledge to the society because they are accustomed to growing their knowledge of founding rules and being productive and that is what the game of basketball is helping to do in this programme,” Williams noted.



Continuing he said, “I appreciate what our Power Forward programme has done for the kids, the youths, the community. It is so tremendous to be part of it and I thank the NBA, ExxonMobil, Africare for all the work they have done for the past four years working hard to implement this programme and making it grow throughout Nigeria and of course Africa. With the number of kids that participated in this programme throughout the country and Africa, I can see that the coaches put on a lot of time and watching the game one can see the development, the passes, the sprints.

”The kids have shown dedication and commitment to the game and the interest cannot be over emphasised and that is how you grow the game and the kids get better because they started at a very young age and they walk their way up.”

‎Meanwhile, the Country Director, Africare Nigeria, Dr. Orode Doherty, said they have been impressed with a programme which started four years ago which has greatly benefited the student.

” This year, we have reached 600 children in 20 schools directly and we are aiming for 10,000 altogether and indirect beneficiaries as well. They have taught other children on proper health and hygiene and other aspects of human endeavour.