The Basketball Africa League (BAL) (www.BAL.NBA.com) and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a leading pan-African multilateral financial institution dedicated to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade, on Saturday announced an expansion of their multi-year collaboration to launch a series of initiatives to empower young basketball professionals in Africa by improving their capabilities in finance and supporting the continent’s creative industries.

The expanded collaboration was announced at the ongoing fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algeria by BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, during a signing ceremony held as part of Afreximbank’s ongoing Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) taking place as part of IATF2025.

With the expansion, 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.  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.

For the first time, 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.  Online applications for the program will open later in September on the NBA Careers (https://careers.NBA.com/) and BAL (https://BAL.NBA.com/) websites.  The selected participants will be integrated into various BAL departments by the end of the year.

Following the signing ceremony, Fall and Mr. Temwa Gondwe, Afreximbank Director, Creatives and Diaspora, participated in a thought leadership discussion and masterclass on the business of sport hosted by 2011 NBA champion and BAL Ambassador Ian Mahinmi.  The BAL and Afreximbank also held a BAL4Her camp for 20 U-23 female athletes from the local community at Staouéli Court in Algiers from Sept. 5-6.

“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.”

Commenting on the expanded collaboration, Mrs. Awani 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,” said Mrs. Awani.  “We will also support the launch of a new content series celebrating African fashion designers in sports that is set to debut soon.”