The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has announced the unveiling of six newly refurbished basketball courts across Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal as part of NBA Africa’s commitment to build or renovate 1,000 courts across the continent over the next decade.
The refurbished facilities, delivered in partnership with PETROSEN, Qatar Foundation, Ville de Dakar, Wave Côte d’Ivoire and Woodside Energy, are expected to provide thousands of young people and community members with improved access to basketball and other sporting activities each year.
The first two courts were unveiled on September 30 in Saint-Louis, Senegal, in collaboration with Senegalese national oil and gas company Société des Pétroles du Sénégal (PETROSEN), and on October 3 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with Wave Côte d’Ivoire.
Further courts will be unveiled through December in Dakar, Senegal, in collaboration with Ville de Dakar; Joal, Senegal, in partnership with Woodside Energy; and Guédiawaye, Senegal, and Owerri, Nigeria, in collaboration with Qatar Foundation.
The refurbishments include upgraded playing surfaces, spectator seating and new basketball stanchions. Selected locations have also received improved changing rooms, sanitation facilities and lighting.
“These newly refurbished courts reflect our commitment to investing in communities and making the game more accessible to young people across Africa,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “Together with our partners, we are creating spaces where the next generation of African basketball players, fans, and changemakers can grow, connect and thrive.”
In Saint-Louis, the indoor court at Université Gaston Berger (UGB) was unveiled on September 30. Located in the UNESCO World Heritage site, the facility will provide UGB students and the wider Saint-Louis community with a modern venue for basketball and community programmes.
In Abidjan, the renovated court at Groupe Scolaire Lac in Koumassi was unveiled on October 3. The facility is expected to serve nearly 3,000 players each week, including 2,500 students. It will also host a basketball development programme for 300 girls aged 18 and under from eight schools across the community.
Every Saturday, the venue will host the Ligue Jeune, a youth basketball competition for aspiring players aged 18 and under. The refurbishment includes upgraded lighting and new spectator benches made from recycled materials.
The project marks the second BAL court unveiled in Abidjan through the league’s partnership with Wave Côte d’Ivoire, following the launch of its first court in the city in November 2025.
In Joal, a coastal fishing community on Senegal’s Petite Côte, the newly renovated court will be unveiled on October 7 in partnership with Woodside Energy. The facility is expected to become a central gathering point in a community where access to organised sports infrastructure has historically been limited.
The renovated court will feature secure fencing and refurbished sanitation facilities. Its launch will include a basketball clinic for 100 boys and girls aged 16 and under.
In Dakar, the refurbished outdoor court along the city’s Atlantic coastline will be unveiled on October 9 in partnership with Ville de Dakar. Located at the heart of one of the city’s most active recreational areas, the facility is expected to serve as a year-round destination for players, families and visitors.
The court will also serve as a social hub for Dakar’s basketball community, young people and visitors. Upgrades include an integrated scoreboard, new storage facilities and perimeter fencing designed to improve the player and spectator experience while protecting the facility.
The inauguration will be followed by the finals of the BAL City Run, a neighbourhood basketball tournament involving 12 local teams.
In Guédiawaye, Senegal, the BAL will unveil its first-ever BAL4HER court in Africa on October 30 in collaboration with Qatar Foundation. The refurbished indoor facility forms part of the BAL’s platform focused on advancing opportunities for women and girls in basketball and beyond.
The multi-sport hub will support basketball, volleyball and handball and feature upgraded lighting, changing rooms, bathrooms and meeting rooms. It will also provide dedicated spaces for leadership workshops, life-skills training, educational sessions, and health and nutrition programmes.
In Owerri, Nigeria, the second BAL4HER court in Africa is scheduled to be unveiled in December, also in collaboration with Qatar Foundation. The project will be supported by two-time WNBA All-Star and BAL Ambassador Chiney Ogwumike and her nonprofit organisation, Queens of the Continent.
The Owerri court currently serves more than 300 participants across Imo State. Its upgrades include renovated changing rooms and bathrooms, improved lighting and enhanced drainage, transforming the facility into a dedicated venue for organised sport, youth development and community engagement.
The six projects form part of NBA Africa’s broader commitment to expanding sporting infrastructure across the continent and creating more opportunities for young people to participate in basketball and community programmes.
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