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By Joe Apu
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has announced the commencement of its U18 Boys National Team pre-selection camp as preparations intensify for the 2026 FIBA Africa U18 Zone 3 Qualifiers in Burkina Faso.
According to a statement signed by Chairman of the NBBF Technical Committee, Babs Ogunade, the camp will take place from June 24 to July 3 at the Indoor Hall of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State.
The exercise is a key component of the federation’s youth development programme and is aimed at identifying and preparing the country’s best young basketball talents for international competition.
A select group of players, identified through an extensive scouting and evaluation process across different regions of the country, has been invited to participate in the camp under the supervision of head coach Ikima Michael and his technical crew.
During the camp, the coaching staff will assess players’ technical skills, physical condition, discipline and overall readiness for national team duties. At the end of the exercise, a final squad will be selected to represent Nigeria at the FIBA Africa U18 Zone 3 Qualifiers scheduled for July 2 to 15 in Burkina Faso.
The NBBF also unveiled a comprehensive preparation programme designed to strengthen the team’s chances of success at the continental level.
Following the qualifiers, selected home-based players will continue preparations in a training camp from July 16 to 25.
while a United States Training Camp and Talent Evaluation Programme will be held in Chicago from July 23 to 25 to assess eligible Nigerian diaspora players.
Thereafter, both locally based and diaspora players selected for the national team will converge in Côte d’Ivoire for a final joint preparation camp from July 27 to August 3 ahead of the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket Championship Finals, which will take place from August 3 to 16.
NBBF President, Ahmadu Musa Kida, said the federation remains committed to grassroots development and creating pathways for young athletes to progress to the highest level.
“The future of Nigerian basketball lies in our ability to consistently discover and develop young talents. This U18 camp represents another important step in our long-term vision of building sustainable pathways for our youth athletes to progress to the highest levels of the game,” Kida said.
National Teams General Manager, Musa Adamu, described the camp as a crucial step in strengthening Nigeria’s basketball talent pipeline.
“The players invited to Benin City have earned this opportunity through their performances and potential. This camp will determine the team that represents Nigeria in Burkina Faso, while also serving as part of a broader strategy to build a competitive programme capable of succeeding at the continental level,” he said.
The federation noted that the initiative reflects its commitment to blending the country’s best home-grown prospects with talented Nigerian players in the diaspora as it seeks to build competitive national teams for future international competitions.
