NBA Africa and Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) have joined forces to launch the M-PESA Jr. NBA program, a groundbreaking initiative that will provide basketball development and financial literacy education to more than 10,000 boys and girls across Kenya. The program, announced on Saturday, marks NBA Africa’s most expansive youth development effort in East Africa to date.
Spanning Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu, the first year of the program tipped off with a coaching clinic at SABIS International School in Nairobi, training over 100 local coaches.
The initiative will feature four regional tournaments for youth aged 13 to 16, beginning in Nairobi (Feb. 22-23), followed by Mombasa (March 8-9), Eldoret (March 15-16), and Kisumu (March 22-23). Each city will host 20 boys’ teams and 20 girls’ teams, engaging in skills development sessions and competitive games.
At the end of the regional tournaments, the top 80 players will form elite teams for round-robin competition, and 16 boys and 16 girls from each city will advance to an exclusive top 100 camp at Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa this April.
Beyond basketball, M-PESA, Safaricom’s mobile payment platform, will run financial literacy workshops to instill responsible financial habits among participating youth.
NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi emphasized the significance of the initiative, stating:
“Tipping off our multiyear collaboration with Safaricom is an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to make basketball more accessible to Kenyan boys and girls. We look forward to positively impacting youth and coaches across the country through basketball development and life-skills programming.”
Safaricom CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa echoed this sentiment, linking the program’s launch to M-PESA’s 18th anniversary in March:
“Through M-PESA Go, this collaboration transcends beyond basketball. It is driven by a shared vision to create a lasting impact, not only in sports but also in the broader context of youth empowerment. We firmly believe that the association between M-PESA Go and the Jr. NBA program can pave the way for growth and financial health, enabling young athletes to develop their skills and seize opportunities at the next level.”
With a focus on nurturing talent, character-building, and financial education, the M-PESA Jr. NBA program is set to transform the lives of young Kenyan athletes, offering them valuable skills both on and off the court.
