Experts in sports and health education have said that, Children that are engaged in sports like basketball make prime targets for public-health campaigns and can teach their peers.
This comes as hundreds of boys and girls across 10 secondary schools in the FCT move into the second season of Power Forward, a project that blends health, education and sports for young people in the city centre with sponsorship from ExxonMobil Nigeria.
The country manager for Africare, Orode Doherty, stressed that when you use something children enjoy, you can teach them with it.
"Children who engage in sports tend to be more competitive and influential, and so combining this was an attempt to bring together public health capacity and knowledge as well as leadership, which is something we sorely need in Nigeria to create the leaders of tomorrow, which is something we want to have", she said.
A total of 10 schools have been on the project since the first season's launch in 2013, and have had their basketball courts renovated, boots, sock, jerseys and basketballs provided
Nigerian-American women's NBA star Chiney Ogwunike of the Connecticut Sun, who was a guest at Power Forwards second season to support budding basketballers, called it a great example of how the values of basketball are important in everyday life and help build social cohesion.
ExxonMobil Nigeria is building on an existing platform of varied intervention in malaria control to push its Power Forward project among schools in the FCT, according to Anibor Kragha, the foundation's upstream treasurer.
The skills acquired through this initiative will stay with these youths throughout their lives, and enable them to make a positive difference wherever they are, said Nolan ONeal, chairman of ExxonMobil Nigeria affiliates.
President of Nigerian Basketball Federation Tijjani Umar said programmes merging schooling and health play an important role in developing our youth become healthy and productive future leaders.
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