Basketball Experience: Basketball as a vehicle for education

On Thursday 19 January, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, announced in a joint communication a comprehensive plan to work in partnership to promote basketball in France and Africa at all levels. France and the NBA thereby plan to further invest in basketball infrastructure in Africa, including in multipurpose facilities able to host Basketball Africa League (BAL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) games which will drive economic growth in communities across the continent.

Education is a key development issue and one of the main tools to fight against social determinism, reduce inequalities and build skills to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, first and foremost climate change. It is also one of the main objectives of the international community’s agenda for development: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (SDG n° 4). As such, it is also evidently a priority for Expertise France.

The Basketball Experience initiative implemented by Expertise France since 2019, and financed by Agence Française de Développement and the NBA, gives concrete expression to the agency’s commitments and the recognised importance of sport as a tool for education.

Basketball Experience: Promoting sport in 4 African countries

The project has already been deployed in Morocco and Nigeria over the past two years. It is being extended to Senegal and Kenya in 2023.

It has two objectives: develop sport as a tool for education for citizenship, for young people aged between 5 to 18 years in schools, and raise awareness among children, families and public authorities of the benefits of sport for the health and development of young people, especially girls.

With financing from Agence Française de Développement, Expertise France is coordinating civil society organisations for the implementation of educational and awareness-raising activities.

The NBA, which is also a partner and funder of the project, is responsible for training basketball coaches and renovating courts in each country.

Launch of activities in Senegal in 2023

2023 will mark the start of activities in Senegal, where its deployment is of special importance, as the country will be hosting the Youth Olympic Games in 2026.

The activities will be deployed at community level via the NGO SEED, whose mission is to help residents and civil society organisations improve their living environment. It achieves this by working in the fields of participatory urban planning, street furniture, citizen participation, social design and education for citizenship and solidarity.

The NBA is planning to renovate two basketball courts in Saint Louis and Guédiawaye and train sports coaches.

Impact of the Basketball Experience project in Morocco and Nigeria

In Morocco:

• 24,000 children educated
• 55 partner schools
• 20 coaches trained by the NBA (10 men and 10 women)
• 3,000 activities organised
• 1 operational court, with a second court soon

In Nigeria:

• 21,000 children educated
• 53 partner schools
• 20 coaches trained by the NBA (10 men and 10 women)
• 600 activities organised
• 1 court 

To find out more, read the dedicated project-sheet