NBF opens U-18 boys national team pre-selection camp in Benin City
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has announced the start of its U18 Boys National Team Pre-Selection Camp, scheduled to hold from June 24 to July 3 at the Sports Hall of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
According to a statement signed by the Chairman of the NBBF Technical Committee, Babs Ogunade, the camp is a key part of preparations for the upcoming FIBA Africa U18 Zone 3 Qualifiers. The programme is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s talent identification and development pathway for youth basketball.
Following a nationwide scouting exercise, selected young athletes have been invited to the camp under the supervision of Coach Ikima Michael and the technical crew. The exercise will assess players’ technical skills, physical condition, discipline, and overall readiness for national team duties.
Ogunade explained that the camp will ultimately produce the team that will represent Nigeria at the Zone 3 Qualifiers scheduled for July 2–15, 2026 in Burkina Faso.
He added that the Benin City camp is part of a broader development structure designed to prepare the team for continental competition. After the qualifiers, selected home-based players will continue training in a follow-up camp scheduled for July 16–25, 2026.
As part of the Federation’s expanded programme, a United States Training Camp and Talent Evaluation session will also be held in Chicago from July 23–25, 2026, to assess and integrate eligible Nigerian diaspora players into the national setup.
Thereafter, all selected players from both Nigeria and the diaspora will converge for a final joint preparation camp in Côte d’Ivoire from July 27 to August 3, 2026, ahead of the FIBA U18 AfroBasket Championship Finals, set for August 3–16, 2026 in Côte d’Ivoire.
NBBF President Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida reiterated the Federation’s focus on grassroots development and long-term talent nurturing.
“The future of Nigerian basketball lies in our ability to consistently discover and develop young talent,” Kida said. “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. We are excited about the quality of talent emerging across the country and look forward to seeing these young players compete for the opportunity to wear the green and white.”
Join the Savid News channel on WhatsApp:
