Chiney Ogwumike, BAL Kick Off First-Ever Women’s Basketball Initiative in Nigeria

Two-time WNBA All-Star and Basketball Africa League (BAL) ambassador Chiney Ogwumike, alongside Nigeria men’s national team head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed, spearheaded training sessions at the inaugural BAL women’s basketball programme in Nigeria, Sport360NG reports.

The three-day event in Lagos, organised under the BAL4HER platform in partnership with Ogwumike’s foundation Queens of the Continent, was designed to celebrate and empower young women in basketball.

The initiative combined leadership and networking activities with on-court development. It began on August 29 with an evening session that brought together 100 participants, including 20 under-23 players and female sports professionals selected through an online application. Ogwumike hosted panel discussions that explored “Celebrating Nigeria’s AfroBasket Champions & the Rise of Women’s Basketball” and “Sport as a Pathway to Opportunity and Impact in Africa.” Notable figures from sport, entertainment and youth advocacy, including Aituaje Vivian, Chioma Omeruah, Omawumi Megbele, Taye Adeniyi and Tega Dominic, contributed to the conversations.

On the second day, the focus shifted to an under-23 camp at the American International School of Lagos. The athletes participated in combine drills, scrimmages and career-focused sessions with Senegalese star Fatou Diagne. A parallel BAL Advance clinic trained 32 local coaches under the guidance of Coach Mohammed.

The programme concluded on August 31 with a clinic for 45 under-16 girls drawn from local communities. The younger athletes were mentored by the under-23 participants, who passed on both basketball skills and personal guidance.

Throughout the weekend, Ogwumike, Mohammed, Diagne and BAL staff led activities aimed not only at teaching basketball fundamentals but also at equipping players to become leaders and role models within their communities.