UA freshman Maya Nnaji changing lives of Nigerians one court, school at a time

Maya Nnaji knows what it’s like to dream big.

It’s what she’s been doing her whole life.

Even before the Arizona freshman knew her path with basketball, the plans were already in place.

Her family wanted to give of themselves to make things better for others who weren’t as fortunate.

Nnaji helps others every day — like giving extra food to the homeless — but a much larger goal was accomplished just a few months ago.

The Nnaji Family Foundation built the first of five basketball and educational facilities in Agbani, Nigeria — her father, Apham’s hometown.

“It warms my heart to be able to see my dreams coming true, I guess, slowly,” the 6-foot-4-inch Wildcat said. “It’s just amazing to know the impact that you can have on people and then also hearing their stories, hearing how excited they were, seeing their smiling faces. It just makes everything super worth it. And it motivates me to push even harder in the gym with basketball, to build even bigger platform. It just keeps me and my family going.”

All five Nnajis — Maya, her parents Apham and Janel, along with her older brother Zeke and younger sister Josie — play key roles in the foundation.

For Nnaji’s dad, it’s a full-circle moment. Apham came to America with limited money, but still had the goal of helping children in his country have opportunities. It was important for him to build the first facility in his hometown, despite the country’s governors wanting the first one built in a larger city. This was above politics.

Arizona coach Adia Barnes said that Nnaji comes from an amazing family.

“They’ve built their life around serving other people, their faith and just helping others,” Barnes said. “I love to see that and I think that’s the reason why Maya, Zeke and Josie are way they are, it’s because how they were raised. Maya is going to make a huge impact as a human being when she’s a doctor, and she’ll continue to leave a legacy with the foundation and doing all that stuff in Africa. I love to see her do that. I fully support her doing those things — 120%.”

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In the beginning, when Maya was very young, it all seemed like a pipe dream. However, when Zeke, who played basketball at UA during the 2019-20 season, was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, it was time. The NBA partnered with the foundation to help fund half the project.

Next up are camps and clinics on the basketball court and STEM programs to help children catch up.

Maya said, “It’s just incredible to see the lack of opportunities.”

“If not through sports than through education, we can change their lives, as well,” Nnaji said. “(This was built in a) small town. They hired shuttle buses that picked up the people and drove them down to location and they were driving down this windy road. Then they got there and they’re like, ‘Wow, it looks like we’re in America.’ Because the facility is so beautiful.

“We want to like give people that opportunity to have like access to luxury things or really, really nice things because it can change their lives. Children shouldn’t have to be working hard labor jobs that by the age of 10 or 12 to support their family. They should be able to be children and be able to learn, be able to play sports and to have the same opportunities that I had when I was a kid and that every kid in the U.S. has. The biggest goal is to provide them with opportunities and to bridge the gap that is there from the U.S. to Nigeria.”

What they saw when they arrived at the facilities, were brightly colored courts – something that Nnaji and Josie designed. They also designed the uniform jerseys. They had fun picking out colors that are vibrant and pop on the court.

The family hasn’t stopped there. They also are concerned with hunger in Nigeria. They created Nnaji Family Foundation Day of Giving. Every month they give up to 30 homeless families food supplies that will last up to a year.

Once Nnaji finishes her schooling to become a doctor, she plans on having medical clinics to help tackle issues from that standpoint. She said many are getting sick and dying from illnesses that are curable in first-world countries.

For now, this 19-year-old is focused what’s in front of her: continuing to grow on and off the court.

“Knowing that’s the impact we’re having on people — and I probably won’t really, really hit me until I go and see it in person myself — but that’s why I wake up every day in the morning with such a chip on my shoulder and such a fire burning in my heart,” Nnaji said.

“I really want to change the world in as many ways as I possibly can … It’s really possible for me and my family. If I continue to work hard — because hard work and faith has gotten me this far — I just know it can take me even farther … to endless possibilities.”