Nigeria’s basketball youth development scene received a major boost as D’Tigers assistant captain Michael Eric staged the fifth edition of his Top 50 elite basketball camp in Lagos, with organisers left thoroughly impressed by the calibre of young players who turned out for the one day programme. 

The event, held under the auspices of the Erico Sports Legacy Foundation, drew fifty young players from various academies across the country who were put through drills and training sessions designed to expose them to international standards.

The foundation was established by Eric in honour of his late father, former Super Eagles goalkeeper and assistant coach Joe Erico. Speaking at the camp, the former Cleveland Cavaliers player, who was born and raised in Mushin, Lagos, said watching the teenagers arrive prepared and eager to learn reaffirmed his belief that the initiative was making a real difference in the lives of young Nigerians who lack access to proper sporting platforms. He described the hunger he saw in the eyes of the participants as deeply moving and said it captured exactly what the foundation set out to achieve.

Eric also commended other Nigerian basketball professionals who have begun launching similar grassroots programmes across the country, describing the growing trend as a collective movement that is gradually transforming youth development in the sport. He explained that his motivation for starting the foundation went beyond his own basketball journey, stemming instead from a desire to create opportunities for young Nigerians who share his passion but never had access to the right platform to pursue it.

According to the foundation, more than one thousand young athletes have benefited from the initiative since it began, with several participants going on to secure scholarships abroad through the programme. At this latest edition, organisers provided about two hundred pairs of shoes, jerseys and other gear to participants, while the best performing athletes identified during the camp will be considered for sponsorship opportunities or trials with clubs in Europe.

Head coach Chris Nomigo, who led the technical team at the event, said the programme was designed as an intensive one day course aimed at bringing out the best in the participants while ensuring the experience remained enjoyable throughout. The foundation said its long term ambition is to establish a full academy in Nigeria with international affiliations, secure additional sponsorship partnerships, and continue tracking the progress of the children who pass through its programmes in the years ahead.

Photo Credit: Punch Newspaper