The Adeola Ajayi Foundation · Sango Ota, Nigeria
Beyond the court.Beyond limits.
A free basketball camp in Sango Ota, and everything that grows from it.
Potential is everywhere. Opportunity is not.
0.0M
children of primary-school age in Nigeria are out of school
A further 8.1 million of secondary-school age are also out of school.
0%
of Nigeria's children live in multidimensional poverty
Deprived in several areas of well-being at once: health, education, housing, water.
Basketball is the doorway.
Opportunity is the destination.
Noble Court
03 · Noble Court
It started with
the only court
in town.
AOA rebuilt and maintained what was then Sango Ota’s only basketball court. Then we built one of our own.
April 15, 2025 · Sango Ota
A court of our own.
Noble Court, dedicated to the late Idowu “ID Noble” Ajayi: a painted court, a covered stand and a learning hall, in the neighbourhood the founder grew up in.
April 2026 · The 7th annual camp
202 campers.
And still growing.
Real numbers.
Real children.
- Annual camps hosted
- 7
- 2019 – 2026 (no camp in 2020)
- Children attended camp
- 1,152+
- 2019 – 2026, counted per camp (7 camps)
- Meals provided
- 4,450+
- 2019 – 2026
- Pairs of shoes
- 2,567+
- 2019 – 2026
- Jerseys & t-shirts
- 1,979+
- 2019 – 2026
- Basketballs
- 200+
- 2019 – 2026
Cumulative figures from the AOA 2024 Impact Leave-Behind plus AOA camp records for 2025 and 2026. Each number's source is listed on the impact dashboard.
Impact story · Busayo, 2021 camper
“I understood that anything is possible with hard work and consistency.”
“What I really learned was that loving one another is the best motivation, and you should never let someone else's opinion define your reality.”
Ariyo Victor Kolawole
Camper, age 13
“This was my son's first time attending the camp, and I was blown away. Watching him get involved and energized was such a rewarding experience.”
Mr. Debo
Camper's parent
“In all my years of playing and coaching, the AOA Annual Basketball Camp stands out as the best experience I've had.”
Olude Temitope
Coach
On the mic · AOA camp 2025, Noble Court
Our story
A dream born in a 9-by-9 room in Sango Ota.
Adeola Ajayi grew up in extreme poverty in Nigeria, playing basketball with almost no access to facilities or equipment. In 2009 his determination earned him a high school basketball scholarship in the United States.
Severe injuries and two major surgeries ended his playing career in 2013. Rather than let that define him, he turned it into a mission. In 2019 he founded the Adeola Ajayi Foundation to give children in his hometown the opportunities he had to fight for.
The founder's memoirFootprints on Concrete: the story before the FoundationGet involved
Four ways to move the game forward.
- DonateGive once or monthly to fund camps, equipment, meals and community projects.
- SponsorPut your brand behind Bloom Ball, the annual camp or a specific program.
- VolunteerCoach, mentor, help with outreach or lend your professional skills.
- PartnerCorporate partnerships, in-kind gifts and joint initiatives.
- 5th Annual Bloom Ball · Saturday, February 20Garden of DreamsOur signature gala in Kansas City. Tickets and sponsorships →
AOA ShopWear the mission.For Their Futures caps and tees. Every piece supports the work →
With gratitude to our supporters
A first shot.
A camper at the 2026 AOA camp in Sango Ota.
Clean water.
The borehole gifted with Dr. Jacqueline Walters and Curtis Berry, April 2024.
A court of their own.
Noble Court, Sango Ota.
05 — The invitation
Every camp, every pair of shoes, every classroom and every drop of clean water is an investment in what tomorrow looks like for the children of Sango Ota.
Join the team.