Intro:

A look at a new drive to help basketball talent flourish in Nigeria.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (Engish) Abiodun Ayetimiyi:
" I know very soon I'm going to be known, known everywhere not just in my country because in my country now i'm known as one of the best rookies who is coming up."

SOUNDBITE (English): Joe Tououmou, Head coach Mark Mentors and a consultant to the Nigerian Basketball Federation, the NBBF
"Every time I came here I was impressed by the potential. The size, the athleticism, the strength of the players, The one thing I knew was lacking was the skills. A lot of players were not polished yet, a lot of players lacked game experience, a lot of players lacked good coaching. Thats why this job was attractive to me because I felt like you know, this was a good opportunity for me to share my knowledge, all the knowledge that I have acquired in the U.S with this young players in Nigeria."

SOUNDBITE (English): Stanley Gumut, basketball player
"There's a lot of basketball opportunity, ...I mean, Nigeria is a basketball loving nation, we just need to get more sponsors, we need to get more people coming in to help the game, develop the athletes, better the players so they can have a better life playing the game."

SOUNDBITE (English): Joe Tououmou, Head coach Mark Mentors and a consultant to the Nigerian Basketball Federation, the NBBF
"I feel I have a share sentiment towards players because on one hand I feel like well this is the game they love, they want to play it - but on the other hand I say, 'well can you really live off this game because you don't get paid enough money,' The average salary in this league, I'll say is only about $100 a month."

SOUNDBITE: (English), Abiodun Ayetimiyi
"My dream is to play is to play overseas. If you see a young kid in the country like me, what's his first aim, he will tell you like his fist aim is to go overseas to play not in the country but if we can have a good sponsor in the country league and other program in the game, most people wouldn't want to go overseas to play they will want to play in the country because there is nothing like playing in your country."

SOUNDBITE (English): Joe Tououmou, Head coach Mark Mentors and a consultant to the Nigerian Basketball Federation, the NBBF
"This new wave of players going to the U.S, you look at the Nigerian national team that just played in Abidjan, most of the players were coming from the U.S so those are players who actually played in Nigeria and eventually had an opportunity to go abroad and play and develop the game and came back to represent their country. Yes I think there is a huge future for basketball in Nigeria."