KIGALI (Rwanda) - Basketball continues to make significant strides in Africa, and the Fédération Rwandaise de Basketball Amateur (FERWABA) is set to stimulate even more exciting growth by harnessing the support offered by the FIBA Plus program. The Federation reaped the benefits of the program back in 2019 and this time was intent on tapping into the experience and skills offered in the area of Strategic Planning Support to help design a dynamic new plan for the sport for the 2026-2030 period. This is a core element of FIBA Plus, along with Implementation Support. The latest FIBA Plus workshop, which was successfully facilitated in the capital city of Kigali and involved a 20-strong team, was the second held globally this year and also the first on the African continent in 2025.
There was a strong focus placed on realizing the goals of FERWABA to have an even clearer strategic direction. This involved leaning on FIBA for expert support in matters of setting and ultimately delivering against governance, sporting, and commercial objectives.
As usual, an in-depth analysis was undertaken by FIBA colleagues to make sure that FERWABA was given the best possible tailored support. This involved one-to-one interviews with the Federation President and Vice Presidents, National Teams Director, Technical Director, Marketing and Communications Manager, and the Competitions Director.
Additionally, there was also important feedback obtained from FERWABA stakeholders, which included the Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee, as well as a representative from the Ministry of Sports.
In addition, more than 400 responses were collected through online surveys involving players, coaches, referees, clubs, and fans to gather their views on basketball in Rwanda.
FERWABA has already become something of a shining beacon for African basketball during recent years. In addition to hosting the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2023 and the FIBA AfroBasket 2021, Rwanda hosted one of the two pre-qualifying tournaments for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup last August. Rwanda has also been host to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the past four years, with Season 5 games to be played later this month in Kigali.
Wanting to continue on their upward curve and elevate the sport, FERWABA President Desire Mugwiza hailed the workshop as a significant success.
He stated: "FIBA Plus has been a catalyst for FERWABA to redefine its strategic direction with greater clarity, ambition, and professionalism. We were able to critically assess our strengths and gaps, particularly around governance, development pathways, and financial sustainability."
FERWABA Vice-President and FIBA Central Board Member, Pascale Mugwaneza added: "Building on these insights, FERWABA is now strengthening its long-term vision aspiring to elevate Rwanda's position among the leading basketball nations in Africa and refining its mission to focus on expanding access to basketball for all, nurturing local talent, and ensuring strong and transparent governance."
FIBA