The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a leading pan-African multilateral financial institution dedicated to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade, have announced an expansion of their multi-year collaboration. The enhanced partnership will deliver new initiatives designed to empower emerging basketball professionals across Africa, strengthen financial literacy, and support the continent’s growing creative industries.
The announcement was made during the ongoing fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algeria. BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, signed the agreement during Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme at IATF2025.
Building on its existing support for BAL Advance, a programme that equips players and coaches with leadership skills and financial literacy, Afreximbank will launch “BAL Advance: Next Play” in the league’s sixth season in 2026. The new initiative will offer tailored business workshops and networking opportunities to help athletes and coaches develop entrepreneurial expertise and drive innovation within Africa’s sports industry.
For the first time, Afreximbank will also invest in nurturing early-career professionals in sport through BAL Future Pros, a year-round development programme offering training, work experience and professional networks. Applications open online in September via the NBA Careers and BAL websites, with successful candidates set to join BAL departments by the end of the year.
Following the signing ceremony, Fall joined Mr Temwa Gondwe, Afreximbank’s Director of Creatives and Diaspora, in a thought leadership session and masterclass on the business of sport. The event was hosted by 2011 NBA champion and BAL Ambassador Ian Mahinmi. In addition, the BAL and Afreximbank organised a BAL4Her camp in Algiers on 5–6 September, bringing together 20 female athletes under the age of 23 for training and mentorship at Staouéli Court.
“Our longstanding collaboration with Afreximbank is part of our commitment to using basketball as an economic growth engine and the BAL as a platform to develop and showcase African excellence,” said Fall. “We look forward to continuing to work with Afreximbank in our efforts to further grow the African basketball ecosystem and the continent’s broader sports industry.”
Mrs Awani underlined the vital role of the BAL in advancing Africa’s creative economy, stating: “Afreximbank is committed to supporting the BAL’s premier networking and thought-leadership events, including the league’s annual Innovation Summit. We will also support the launch of a new content series celebrating African fashion designers in sports that is set to debut soon.”
Nike knows how to blend performance with fashion. sports
ReplyDelete