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Nigerian-born basketball legend, Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon, has partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Exxon Mobil initiative to contribute to development of Nigeria through sports. Olajuwon was in Abuja for the dedication of a basketball court and coaching clinic for more than 300 students from 10 secondary schools in the capital city. The former Houston Rockets center and Olympic gold medalist collaborated with Obinna Ekezie (a former NBA player) and Swin Cash, a female basketball player in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), for the launch of “Power Forward”, a youth engagement initiative that will use basketball to inculcate life and leadership skills in Nigerian youths. The two- day event was backed by the NBA, the WNBA, Exxon Mobil and Africare. Nigeria ‘s Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, NBA Vice President, Development for Africa, Amadou Fall, President of Africare, Darius Mans and Managing Director Exxon Mobil, Mark Ward, were present at the inauguration of the initiative in Abuja. Olajuwon noted that Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of talents in basketball, adding that one of the goals of the initiative is to lay a foundation for the development of such talents to play professional basketball. “Basketball gives you opportunity to succeed. We will fulfill this obligation when you put the right people in office to take charge. We believe in this programme and we want to make basketball in Nigeria and Africa to be as popular as basketball in America’’, he said. Swin Cash, who was visiting Africa for the first time, advised youths to pay particular attention on their studies just as well, citing that she was able to conquer poverty by using the opportunities education and basketball both presented. The Nigerian Finance Minister, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, commended the efforts of the sponsors to develop sports. She said government was in full support of any initiative aimed at advancing its youth development programmes.