ENUGU (Nigeria) – Although he has yet to play for Nigeria at senior level, the impact of Zeke Nnaji is already impossible to miss in his ancestral home of Agbani, Enugu State.
Having won the NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, Zeke established the Nnaji Family Foundation, which has grown into one of the most ambitious grassroots sports and education projects in south-eastern Nigeria: the Lions Den Athletics Club.
A visit to the serene community of Agbani, located around 250 kilometres from the city of Enugu, offers a valuable perspective.
The smooth drive from Enugu offers little hint of what lies ahead. As the journey turns onto an unpaved, undulating stretch of road, doubt begins to creep in. Surely a state-of-the-art complex would be more noticeable?
After about 10 minutes of navigating the rough path, the Lions Den Athletics Club comes into view, accompanied by a sense of arrival.
Walking through the gates, the meticulous planning is immediately evident.
The facility boasts two standard basketball courts, which are buzzing with activity as more than 150 young athletes rotate through drills and scrimmages.
Adjacent to the courts is an Innovation Lab housing a fully equipped gym, a technology laboratory, a music studio and a computer hub.
Beyond this, the complex expands to include a lazy river winding around a swimming pool, a large outdoor chessboard, a beach volleyball court, a table tennis area and a juice bar, all of which encourage multisport development and provide post-training recovery in a safe, youth-focused environment.
Head Coach Timothy Abimbola told FIBA.basketball that the programme's reach extends far beyond the numbers seen on any given afternoon.
“Over 1,200 athletes benefit from this facility,” he explained. 'Under the supervision of our Country Director, Felicia Ezeako, the Foundation provides two buses daily to transport students from the city centre in Enugu to Agbani for training and back home. While they’re here, we teach life skills, discipline, and the importance of education.”
“As an organization, we partnered with the NBA and have hosted several camps here. The impact has been awesome.”
Assistant coach John Oche Anejo shared these sentiments, highlighting the players' steady growth in confidence and character.
For 15-year-old Chuke Mellangle Chidiogo, the Lions Den Athletics Club means much more than just basketball.
“Coming here after school is something I look forward to with excitement,” she said. “I’ve learnt things I didn’t know before, and it has made me a better player. I’m grateful my parents support me.”
Her peer, Ezeani Kaobichukwudi Blaise, also 15, credits the program for expanding his worldview.
“I travelled outside my city for the first time – to Port Harcourt and Lagos,” he said. “I felt intimidated at first seeing players from other places, but our coach always tells us that with focus, we can withstand any opponent. I’ve become more responsible to my family. I followed Zeke's championship game and I learnt a lot from just watching him. It was not about the minutes he played, but his contributions for the minutes he was on the flow. When he spoke with us on a Zoom call, he was all about encouraging us to remain focused.”
Perhaps the most telling symbol of the Foundation’s reach is eight-year-old Divine Nnamani.
Introduced to basketball in 2025 by her mother after observing activities at the Lions Den Club, Divine now lingers on the court long after sessions end, reluctant to leave the game she has come to love. "I want to play and learn from the older players," she states.
According to Country Director Felicia Ezeako, this devotion reflects the vision of the Nnaji Family Foundation.
“Zeke Nnaji is committed to the programs here and wants to get it right,” Ezeako noted. “The Nnaji Family Foundation is a non-profit focused on giving back to society. We’re not just about basketball – we’re deeply committed to education and community outreach.
“We plan to introduce STEM books to empower the children here and distribute them to schools so others can benefit. Beyond that, we support our community by providing palliatives to families to help cushion the economic hardship in the country.”
In a country where basketball dreams often clash with infrastructural limitations, the Lions Den Athletics Club makes a bold statement.
While Nigerian fans wait to see if Nnaji will one day represent the country on the international stage, his influence is already shaping the futures of young people in Agbani.
For the children who pass through its gates each day, the green and white jersey is not just something to aspire to; it symbolises the growth of opportunity at home.
FIBA