Afreximbank will support the development of emerging professionals in the sports industry through BAL Future Pros, the league’s year-round program to equip early-career talent across Africa.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have expanded their multi-year partnership to new initiatives designed to empower and support young basketball professionals across Africa.
The expanded collaboration was announced during the recently concluded fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algiers, Algeria by BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank.
As such, Afreximbank will build on its existing support for BAL Advance – the league’s program to strengthen financial literacy and leadership skills among BAL players and coaches, by introducing “BAL Advance: Next Play” during the league’s sixth season tipping off in 2026.
“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, in a media statement released by BAL.
Fall said they look forward to working with Afreximbank in their efforts to further grow the African basketball ecosystem and the continent’s broader sports industry.
Awani on her part highlighted the important contribution the BAL is making in advancing the African creatives sector.
“Afreximbank is committed to supporting the BAL’s premier networking and thought-leadership events, including the league’s annual innovation summit.”
The bank, she added, will support the launch of a new content series celebrating African fashion designers in sports that is set to debut soon.
Notably, through targeted business workshops and strategic networking opportunities, the new initiative will help BAL players and coaches develop their entrepreneurial skills and leverage their unique perspectives to drive innovation and growth across Africa’s sports ecosystem.
Through the collaboration, Afreximbank will also support the development of emerging professionals in the sports industry through BAL Future Pros, the league’s year-round program to equip early-career talent across Africa with the skills, experience and networks to build successful careers, with online applications for the program set to open later in September on the NBA Careers and BAL websites.
The selected participants will then be integrated into various BAL departments by the end of the year.
