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NBA Africa and Agence Française de DĂ©veloppement (AFD) – France’s public development institution – have concluded the third season of the Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience by holding a two-day event at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos on September 10th and 11th.
The Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience is a youth development program that features weekly basketball and life skills sessions to educate African youth about the importance of physical and mental health and wellbeing. The initiative also aims to use basketball as a platform to promote social inclusion and inspire secondary school children as change-makers in their communities.
Xavier Muron (AFD Country Director for Nigeria) said of the occasion:
At AFD, we believe that sport is a powerful drive for change, fostering social and economic progress. Therefore, our participation to the BE Program reflects our dedication in investing in youth, skills development, and the empowerment of communities
The celebration was organised around a symposium discussion on the core values of the program and a physical education teachers’ workshop. The stakeholders took this opportunity to discuss mental health, hygiene and gender equality whilst building the capacity of PE teachers and enhancing the learning experience for students in their respective schools.
Laurent Favier (General Consul of France in Nigeria) added:
Over the past two years, with the financial support of the French Embassy, several initiatives have been launched to promote inclusion through sport across Nigeria. These efforts emphasize the transformative power of sport, not only as a tool for personal development but also as a means to foster inclusion, unity, and health across all communities.
Over the past three years, the program has reached more than 40,000 youth from 54 schools in Lagos through basketball clinics and life-skills sessions. 403 teachers have also been trained in more than 120 schools.
Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu said:
The Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience has been essential in our commitment to make basketball more accessible to Nigerian youth and focusing on the importance of mental health, hygiene and gender equity,” said Abudu. “We would like to thank AFD for their support and look forward to continuing to expand our youth development efforts in the country.
The Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience is clearly geared towards promoting psychosocial, learning, and listening skills in a school environment through the practice of basketball. The project is executed in four countries: Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and and Kenya.
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