The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have announced an expansion of their multi-year collaboration to empower young basketball professionals and strengthen Africa’s sports and creative industries.
The announcement was made at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algiers during a signing ceremony attended by BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and Afreximbank Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development Kanayo Awani.
New Programs for Players and Young Professionals
Under the expanded agreement, Afreximbank will deepen its support for BAL Advance, the league’s financial literacy and leadership program, with the launch of “BAL Advance: Next Play” in the 2026 season. The initiative will offer players and coaches targeted workshops and networking opportunities to build entrepreneurial skills and contribute to the growth of Africa’s sports ecosystem.
For the first time, Afreximbank will also back BAL Future Pros, a year-round talent development program aimed at equipping early-career professionals across Africa’s sports industry with the skills and networks needed for long-term success. Online applications for BAL Future Pros will open later in September through the BAL and NBA Careers websites, with successful candidates expected to join BAL departments before the end of the year.
Beyond the Court
The expanded partnership goes beyond basketball. Afreximbank will continue supporting BAL’s thought-leadership and networking platforms, including the Innovation Summit, and will fund a new content series celebrating African fashion designers in sports.
As part of the IATF2025 activities, the BAL and Afreximbank also hosted a BAL4Her camp in Algiers for 20 under-23 female athletes, while Fall and Afreximbank’s Director for Creatives and Diaspora Temwa Gondwe joined a masterclass on the business of sport led by 2011 NBA champion and BAL ambassador Ian Mahinmi.
Driving Africa’s Sports Economy
“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,” Fall said.
Awani described the BAL as an important driver of Africa’s creative economy. “Afreximbank is committed to supporting the BAL’s premier networking and thought-leadership events. We will also support the launch of a new content series celebrating African fashion designers in sports that is set to debut soon,” she noted.
