LUANDA (Angola) - Over the past few years, players, coaches, referees, and federations have participated in the FIBA Africa Development Program to promote the growth of basketball across the continent.
The program aims to improve investment in equipment, staff training, and strategic support. It creates tangible improvements that ultimately manifest on the biggest stage of African basketball: the FIBA AfroBasket.
With this year's AfroBasket in full swing in Angola, it's easy to find players, coaches, and referees who expanded and shared their skills through the program at some point in their careers.
Of the 16 national teams competing in the 2025 AfroBasket, more than half were represented at some point in the FIBA Africa Development Program.
This article emphasizes how FIBA Africa's flagship tournament is deeply connected to the development program.
Three players on the 2021 2025 AfroBasket rosters were part of the development program: Yves Missi and Valentin Lele of Cameroon, participated in the FIBA Skills Challenge 2020.
Ibrahim Zahran of Egypt, Lovasoa Andriatsarafara of Madagascar have benefited from the FIBA Africa Regional Youth Camp in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire in 2021.
Mali head coach Alhadji Dicko participated in the 2023 FIBA Africa Regional Youth Camp, in Mali.
Cape Verde head coach Emanuel Trovoada was a participant in the 2021 Afro Colloque in Kigali; Cameroon head coach Alfred Aboya, and Rwanda assistant coach Yves Murenzi was attended a Stage FIBA WABC Instructor Course in 2024.
Tunisia’s assistant coach Mourad Bel Hassine shared his skills during the FIBA Africa Regional Youth Camp in Morocco in 2022; Rwanda assistant coach Yves Murenzi served as a Stage FIBA WABC Instructor last year.
Guinea assistant coach Souleymane Camara participated in FIBA National Youth Camp this year and Cote d’Ivoire assistant coach Stephane Konaté successfully completed a FIBA WABC Level 2 course in Cote d’Ivoire.
Among others, the National Basketball Federations of Uganda and Senegal took part in the FIBA PLUS - Sporting strategy program in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Find below how the FIBA Africa Development Program is interconnected with the AfroBasket
FIBA Africa’s development program is designed to grow the game across the continent by empowering national federations with resources, knowledge, and long-term guidance.
The pathway is simple but powerful: broader access → better training → stronger systems → more competitive national teams.
Access to the Game: Equipment Support
At the core is material support: each African basketball national federation receives 300 basketballs annually. This equitable and consistent allocation reduces entry barriers and enables daily practice in more places, including schools, clubs, community courts, and youth programs.
Raising the Level: Training for Technical Staff and Players
Beyond access, FIBA Africa invests in human capacity—the people who shape the quality of the game on and off the court.
The program provides structured training pathways for the following:
Building for the Long Term: Strategic Support for Federations
The FIBA Plus global program provides strategic support to complement materials and training, enabling federations to establish clear goals and maintain progress. This includes: - Diagnostics to understand current gaps and opportunities; - Federation development plans (2–5 years) that are aligned with local realities, youth pathways, women’s basketball, coach education, and officiating pipelines.
- It also provides governance and resourcing guidance to stabilize staff structures and budgets. - Monitoring to keep plans on track and adapt as contexts evolve.
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