The President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, has reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to youth development with the unveiling of a comprehensive preparation schedule for Nigeria’s U18 Boys’ and Girls’ National Teams ahead of the 2026 FIBA U18 Africa Championships.
The programme, released by the federation on Thursday, outlines a structured pathway designed to identify, nurture, and prepare the country’s most promising young basketball talents from both Nigeria and the diaspora for continental competition.
According to the schedule approved by the federation, the preparation process will commence with simultaneous national tryouts in Benin City, Lagos, and Abuja on June 6 and 7, 2026. The exercise is expected to attract talented young players from across the country, providing them with an opportunity to earn selection into the national team programme.
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Following the tryouts, the U18 Boys’ National Team will enter a local preparation camp from June 19 to July 2, ahead of the FIBA U18 Zone 3 Qualifiers scheduled to hold in Burkina Faso from July 4 to 12, 2026. The team that will represent Nigeria at the zonal qualifiers will comprise exclusively locally based players.
As preparations intensify for the continental championship, selected players from both the boys’ and girls’ programmes will participate in a local training camp from July 19 to 27, aimed at refining skills, enhancing fitness levels, and improving team cohesion.
In a move that underscores the federation’s commitment to harnessing Nigerian talent worldwide, the NBBF will also organize a United States-based training and evaluation camp in Chicago from July 24 to 26. The camp will serve as a platform for eligible Nigerian players in the diaspora to compete for spots on the final roster while strengthening ties between the national teams and the country’s growing international basketball community.
The final phase of preparations will take place in Côte d’Ivoire, where all selected players from both Nigeria and abroad will converge from July 27 to August 2 for a joint integration and preparation camp. The camp is expected to focus on tactical drills, team chemistry, and final roster adjustments ahead of the championship.
Nigeria’s U18 Boys’ and Girls’ National Teams will subsequently compete at the FIBA U18 Afrobasket Finals, scheduled to be held in Côte d’Ivoire from August 3 to 16, 2026.
Speaking on the significance of the programme, NBBF President Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida emphasized the federation’s determination to build a sustainable future for Nigerian basketball through deliberate investment in youth development.
“The future of Nigerian basketball lies in the development of our young athletes. This programme is designed to identify talent across Nigeria, provide opportunities for our diaspora players, and ensure our teams receive the preparation necessary to compete successfully on the continental stage,” Kida stated.
He further noted that the inclusion of Benin City among the tryout centres reflects the federation’s resolve to expand access to basketball opportunities and discover talents from every region of the country.
The federation highlighted several key objectives of the programme, including expanding grassroots talent identification, providing opportunities for internationally based Nigerian players, ensuring thorough evaluation and preparation of both national teams, fostering team chemistry, and strengthening Nigeria’s long-term youth development pipeline.
With the unveiling of the schedule, the NBBF has once again demonstrated its strategic focus on building a sustainable basketball ecosystem capable of producing future national team stars and maintaining Nigeria’s competitiveness on the African basketball stage.
The federation reiterated its commitment to grassroots development, elite competition pathways, and strategic engagement with Nigerian talents across the globe as it continues preparations for the 2026 continental championship.
