The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has renovated a basketball court in Owerri, Imo State, as part of a wider initiative to upgrade six facilities across Nigeria, Senegal and Ivory Coast to promote grassroots basketball and youth development.
The Owerri facility, scheduled for unveiling in December in partnership with Qatar Foundation, will become the second BAL4HER court in Africa. Two-time WNBA All-Star and BAL ambassador Chiney Ogwumike will support the unveiling through her nonprofit organisation, Queens of the Continent.
The court currently serves more than 300 participants across Imo State. Its improvements include renovated changing rooms and bathrooms, better lighting and enhanced drainage, creating a more suitable environment for organised sports and community activities.
The project forms part of NBA Africa’s ambition to build or renovate 1,000 basketball courts across the continent over the next decade.
“These newly refurbished courts reflect our commitment to investing in communities and making the game more accessible to young people across Africa,” BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall said.
Beyond Owerri, the initiative covers facilities in Senegal and Ivory Coast. Courts in Saint-Louis and Abidjan were unveiled on September 30 and October 3, respectively, while further refurbishments were scheduled in Joal and Dakar.
A BAL4HER court in Guédiawaye, Senegal, is also scheduled for unveiling on October 30 in partnership with Qatar Foundation.
Each upgraded facility is expected to feature improved playing surfaces, spectator seating and new basketball stanchions, with selected locations receiving additional improvements to changing rooms, sanitation and lighting.
The Abidjan court is projected to serve nearly 3,000 players weekly and host a development programme for 300 girls aged 18 and under.
The Owerri project is expected to expand access to quality sporting facilities while creating more opportunities for young Nigerians, particularly girls, to participate in basketball.
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