The People Behind the Mission
Meet the Team
The dedicated people behind the Isah Umar Foundation — coaches, coordinators, and community builders working every day to grow basketball and transform lives across Nigeria.
A Legacy That Shaped Us
Our Mentor
Before the foundation existed, there was a man who gave his life to African basketball. His influence runs through everything we do.
Oliver B. Johnson
"Coach OBJ"
Mentor to the Founder · Godfather of African Basketball
Oliver B. Johnson — universally known as "Coach OBJ" — is one of the most consequential figures in the history of African basketball. An American who arrived in Nigeria in December 1969 as a Peace Corps volunteer, he never left. Over five decades, he became the architect of the sport's foundational blueprint across West Africa, earning him the enduring title: the Godfather of African Basketball.
Coach OBJ is the mentor of Isah Umar, the Foundation's founder. His philosophy — that basketball is a vehicle for discipline, community, and human dignity — is the bedrock on which the Isah Umar Foundation was built.
The Foundation
Our Founder
Isah Umar
Founder, Isah Umar Foundation
Isah Umar founded the Isah Umar Foundation with a single conviction: that basketball, played with purpose, can change the trajectory of a young person's life. Shaped by the mentorship of Coach OBJ, he has spent decades building programs, renovating courts, and creating pathways for less privileged youth across Nigeria.
From the courts of northern Nigeria to national championships, Isah Umar's work has touched hundreds of young lives — and the foundation bearing his name continues to grow that impact every year.
Operations
Foundation Staff
Surajo Yusuf
Projects Supervisor
Owie Odaudu
Projects Coordinator
Mohammed Aliyu
Community Outreach Lead
On the Court
Coaches
Our coaching team brings professional-level expertise and a passion for youth development to every session, clinic, and championship.
Andy Kpedi
Coach
Marcus Liberty
Coach
Terrence Littlefield
Coach
Steve Bardo
Coach
In the Community
Instructors
Our network of instructors delivers basketball training and mentorship at the grassroots level — in schools, communities, and courts across Nigeria.
Isyaku Chibelago
Yusuf Canada
Alhaji Buhari
Danjuma Gani
Adamu Abdul Kuta
Sani Danjuma
Mohammed Abara
Nelly Ayeni
Emmanuel Biodun Tanko
Danlami Mohammed
Isah Muhammad
Maikudi Kontagora
Sani Mohammed
Alhaji Cash
Coach Mike Akubor
Join the Team
Whether you coach, mentor, or coordinate — there's a place for you in this mission.