The quest for the development of basketball and youths in the country will get a boost as a new academy in the sport will be launched on Jan. 30 in Ibadan.

The academy, Hoops Dreams Basketball Academy, is being packaged by a former player of the Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan, Damala Awosika.

Awosika, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said on Friday in Lagos that it has been his “dream to accomplish’’.

The statement said that no fewer than 200 children would be taught the fundamentals of the game in the institution.

It said that basketball footwear and other sporting equipment would be supplied to the children as little as 6 to 18 years.

“The programme will strive to produce the next big stars for Nigeria at the youth level who will, hopefully, graduate to the senior national teams,’’ the statement said.

It said that the discovery of a prodigy of the Lagos Youth Alive Basketball League, Charles Bassey, and currently making waves in the U.S. junior league had motivated the Hoops Dreams Academy.

“Having been part of the Lagos Youth Alive programme and witnessed the results, I felt Oyo State is almost being left out of the rising tide of youth basketball development.

“I was motivated to go back and contribute to the game in Ibadan where I grew up and played basketball to the level of representing Oluyole Warriors in the premier league.

“In Nigeria, we have children everywhere who have the talent to play basketball; we just have to create opportunities and the structure to sustain programmes to develop them,’’ the statement quoted Awosika as saying.

It noted that the recent rise in youth basketball programmes in Nigeria had directly influenced the success of the national U-16 teams and gradually rebranding Nigeria as a basketball powerhouse in Africa.

It also said that fans in the ancient city of Ibadan with a rich history of basketball needed to contribute to develop the new talented youngsters in the game.

The statement also said that the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar, has thanked the initiator of the programme.

It said that the NBBF president noted the proactiveness, time and finance Awosika had given to support the game at the grassroots.

“I acknowledge the opening of the Hoops Dreams Academy in Ibadan.

“I am excited about this and I hope to do everything within my power and as the head of the basketball federation to support your vision,’’ the statement quoted Umar as saying.